Rome, Italy. Greek Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias highlighted growing cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta in shipping after meeting his Mediterranean counterparts on the sidelines of the International Chamber of Shipping summit in Rome.
The meeting took place during the ICS Rome summit, titled ‘Shaping the Future of Shipping Summit 2026 – Forging Partnerships for Resilience’.
Mediterranean ministers meet in Rome
The meeting brought together Kikilias, Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, Italy’s Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi and Malta’s Minister for Sustainable Mobility Chris Bonett.
Writing on his personal platform, Kikilias said the discussion had taken place “in a particularly warm atmosphere”, adding that cooperation between the four countries had become an established tradition.
Shared maritime interests
“Our countries are leading European shipping and share a unique common understanding due to their location in the Mediterranean,” Kikilias said.
Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta are among the European countries most closely linked to maritime transport through their fleets and their position along key trade routes.
Industry pressures and policy context
The summit brought together government officials, shipping leaders and international organisations at a time when the industry is being tested by geopolitical tensions, regulatory change, supply-chain pressures and the demands of the green transition.
The cooperation among the four countries comes as shipping policy is increasingly shaped not only in Brussels, but also by the realities faced by states on Europe’s southern maritime frontier.
Importance of quadrilateral cooperation
Kikilias said he attached particular importance to the quadrilateral cooperation, describing it as a partnership already producing results in a sector of critical importance for the countries’ economies and societies.
“I thank them warmly and I am glad that we are companions at all the critical ‘crossroads’ for shipping,” he added.