Southern Cyprus and Greece take initiative for EU Maritime Commissioner

Fileleftheros newspaper reported that the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, made statements on the subject in his speech at the opening of the "Sea" festival held in Limassol yesterday. In his speech, Christodoulides clearly emphasized that the aim of both the festival and the government is to do more to encourage the country's youth to pursue maritime professions.

According to the statement made by the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, Christodoulides stated that he believes that Southern Cyprus, as an EU member state, does not give due importance to the strategic role and importance of the EU's maritime affairs. He stated that he had the opportunity to discuss this issue with the Prime Minister of Malta during his visit to Iceland and that he discussed the issue with the Prime Minister of Greece.

Christodoulides stated that an initiative has been launched and after the Greek elections, it will turn into a concrete request letter from the two countries to the European Commission. He also pointed out that this initiative is supported by the private sector related to maritime affairs in both countries.

Underlining that the issue stems not only from the EU economy but also from its strategic importance, Christodoulides touched upon Russia's occupation in Ukraine and the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. He added that they believe that the EU will give due importance to maritime affairs with the presence of an EU Commissioner dedicated to these issues.