Cyprus and Bahrain sign maritime cooperation MoU as IMO talks end without agreement

Manama, Bahrain. Cyprus and Bahrain signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation following high-level talks, covering safety, training, search and rescue, innovation and the exchange of expertise.

Cyprus-Bahrain maritime agreement

The agreement was signed on Sunday during a bilateral meeting between Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis and Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

The memorandum covers maritime safety and security, education and training, search and rescue, innovation, and the exchange of expertise and best practices.

The two sides agreed that the signing should be followed by practical measures, including joint working groups to develop specific areas of cooperation.

Hadjimanolis was accompanied by Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) president Stavros Stavrou and Cyprus’ ambassador to Bahrain, Andreas Eliades.

IMO negotiations

Cyprus shipping faces another period of uncertainty after four days of negotiations at the International Maritime Organisation ended without an agreed new text for global rules intended to steer international shipping towards net zero.

The 22nd session of the IMO working group, held in London from September 1 to 4, brought together nearly 1,200 participants in person and online as governments sought to narrow remaining differences over the organisation’s Net-Zero Framework.

The meeting did not abandon the framework but failed to resolve concerns that have prevented its final adoption, leaving some commercially important details for another round of negotiations in November.

According to the IMO, discussions focused on proposals submitted to MEPC 84 and 85, previous working-group sessions and ISWG-GHG 22, aimed at addressing concerns surrounding proposed amendments to MARPOL Annex VI.