The Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, is departing for Japan, China and Korea, where she will carry out a series of working visits from 14 to 29 October 2026, with the main aim of further promoting and promoting Cypriot shipping, strengthening bilateral relations and developing new partnerships with important players in the international shipping community.
An announcement from the Deputy Ministry states that during her stay in Tokyo, the Deputy Minister of Shipping will participate in the 5th Capital Link Japan Maritime Forum, where she will take part in a private discussion with the Founder, President, and CEO of Capital Link, Inc., Nicolas Bornozis, on the topic of 'Leadership, Policy, Competitiveness and International Cooperation.'
At the same time, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping is organising a special event with the participation of representatives of the Japanese shipping and business community, with the aim of promoting Cypriot shipping, the Cypriot Flag and Cyprus as an international shipping centre, as well as creating new partnerships with the Japanese shipping industry. The event is part of the effort for a more targeted approach to the Japanese industry. As part of the visit, bilateral meetings and contacts with representatives of the Japanese shipping industry will also take place.
From Tokyo, the Deputy Minister will travel to Shanghai, where she will participate, at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart, Minister of Transport of China, Liu Wei, in the North Bund International Shipping Forum, an important high-level government event, which brings together leading representatives of the international shipping community. The presence of the Republic of Cyprus in this Forum is a particularly important opportunity to strengthen the international presence of Cyprus and further highlight its role as an important international shipping centre.
During her stay in Shanghai, the Deputy Minister will also participate in the 10th Annual Capital Link International Shipping Forum – Pudong, Shanghai, China, while she will hold contacts with representatives of the Chinese shipping and business community, shipowners, shipping companies and shipyards. At the same time, she will attend the opening of the Shanghai Pudong International Shipping Week, with the aim of exchanging views on issues of concern to international shipping and further strengthening bilateral contacts.
As part of her visit to China, the Deputy Minister will travel to the city of Zhoushan, where she will visit the shipyard where the newly built vessel M/V "Kypros Island" of Safe Bulkers Inc., owned by Polys V. Hadjiioannou, was built, and will attend its naming ceremony. The vessel, which will be registered in the Cyprus Register, is a significant addition to the Cypriot fleet and confirms the trust of leading shipping companies in the Cyprus Flag.
In Korea, the Deputy Minister will participate, at the invitation of the country's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Hwang Jongwoo, and the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, in the 2026 World Maritime Day Parallel Event and in the work of 'Korea Maritime Week'.
In this context, Hadjimanolis will participate in an institutional panel with her counterparts from Korea, Norway, India and Nigeria, as well as the Secretary-General of the IMO, on the role of governments in the implementation of international maritime conventions and their effective implementation at the national level. At the same time, she will hold a bilateral meeting with her Korean counterpart, with the aim of further strengthening maritime cooperation on the basis of the existing Maritime Agreement signed by the two countries.
The visits are part of the strategy of the Deputy Ministry of Shipping to expand the presence of Cypriot shipping in the markets of Japan, China and Korea, the development of new partnerships and business opportunities, as well as the strengthening of the competitiveness of the Cyprus Registry and the position of Cyprus as an international shipping centre, the Deputy Ministry concludes.
