Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hatzimanolis departs today for Japan, China and Korea, where she will hold a series of working visits from 14 to 29 October 2026, with the aim of further promoting Cypriot shipping, strengthening bilateral relations and developing new partnerships with important players in the international shipping community.

According to a press release by the Deputy Ministry, 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 and President of Capital Link, Inc., Nicolas Bornozis, on the topic of “Leadership, Policy, Competitiveness and International Cooperation”.

In addition, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping will organise an 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 center, 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, it is stated. During Hatzimanolis visit, bilateral meetings and contacts with representatives of the Japanese shipping industry will also take place.

The Deputy Minister will also 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 press release says.

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 center, it is added.

During her stay in Shanghai, the Deputy Minister will also attend 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.

Furthermore, 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.

During her visit to China, the Deputy Minister will visit the city of Zhoushan and 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, the Deputy Ministry says.

In Korea, the Deputy Minister will participate, at the invitation of the country’s Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Hwang Jongwoo, and the General Secretary of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, in the 2026 World Maritime Day Parallel Event and in the proceedings of “Korea Maritime Week”.

Moreover, Hatzimanolis will participate in a 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.

She will also 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 Register and the position of Cyprus as an international shipping center, the Deputy Ministry concludes.