Cyprus and Qatar Seal Maritime Cooperation Agreement at Limassol Conference

Cyprus and Qatar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening their partnership in maritime affairs, covering key areas such as education, infrastructure, environmental protection, and the shipping industry’s green transition.

The agreement was formalized on Tuesday during the Maritime Cyprus 2025 Conference in Limassol, with Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis and Qatar’s Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, putting pen to paper. The signing followed a meeting between the two delegations, building on discussions initiated during Hadjimanolis’ official visit to Doha several months earlier.

Welcoming the Qatari minister to Cyprus, Hadjimanolis described his presence as “a continuation of my visit to Doha, where we discussed the signing of this memorandum.” She explained that the MoU encompasses a wide spectrum of priorities, including enhanced cooperation in international organisations, improving competitiveness in shipping, and promoting the exchange of expertise in education, registry operations, and decarbonisation.

“Cyprus is the European country located most easterly in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, and we attach great importance to this cooperation,” Hadjimanolis said, stressing that the memorandum also extends to areas such as port infrastructure, logistics, and environmental safeguards.

She underlined that the agreement should not remain symbolic. “The most important thing is that we do not want it to be just a memorandum that was signed, but we want it to have substance and deliverables,” she noted. Both parties, she added, agreed to pursue concrete outcomes “before the official visit of the President of the Republic to Qatar, so that shipping will be among the topics discussed.”

The partnership is designed to boost collaboration between the two nations in maritime safety, digitalisation, and seafarers’ welfare, reflecting their mutual aspiration to serve as regional hubs for shipping and related services.

Hadjimanolis also expressed her gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for attending the conference, with both officials agreeing to advance joint initiatives in the months ahead to ensure the MoU’s commitments are implemented.

By fLEXI tEAM