On 16 December the Minister of Communications and Works, Mr Tasos Mitsopoulos, hosted a working dinner to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Cyprus Register of Ships. Costas Stamatiou of our firm was among the distinguished guests. 

The Cyprus registered merchant shipping fleet has grown substantially since the establishment of the Cyprus Ship Registry and introduction of the first merchant shipping laws in 1963. Cyprus now has the tenth largest fleet in the world and is the third largest shipmanagement centre worldwide, accounting for a quarter of global shipmanagement activity.

The Minister assured guests that the government is not complacent regarding the achievements of the last 50 years, and intends to further enhance the Cyprus shipping registry by continuing to improve the quality of services offered by the state, continuing to improve safety standards on Cyprus vessels and  promoting the advantages of the flag and Cyprus itself as a maritime and ship management centre. The Minister also said that further incentives are under consideration, consistent with the acquis communautaire.

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