Nicosia, Cyprus, June 15, 2026. - The Deputy Minister of Maritime Transport for the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms Marina Hadjimanolis, received the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Cyprus, Rubén Pino Martínez, this Monday during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the aforementioned deputy ministry, located in the port city of Limassol.
During the meeting, the deputy minister welcomed the Cuban diplomat and warmly thanked him for his visit; he was accompanied by part of his closest team: Dr Theodoulus Mesimeris, acting permanent secretary of the mentioned deputy ministry; Mr Adonis Pavlides, director of the office and senior maritime inspector of the Policy, Coordination, and Strategic Planning Unit; and Ms Despina Pirikki, administrative officer of the deputy ministry.
With them, Pino Martínez had a fruitful exchange, in which some options and opportunities to develop a bilateral collaboration were outlined, based on the agreement signed and in force between both governments regarding maritime transport. In this regard, the Cuban diplomat elaborated on contacts already established in mid-April between executives of Cuban entities related to the general director of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, Mr Alexandros Josephides, and Mr Sofoklis Chrysostomou, maritime manager and member of the board of the mentioned institution, both representing Cypriot shipping companies and others in the Eastern Mediterranean sector.
This preliminary virtual meeting with representatives from the Consigning Company Mambisa, the Port Maritime Transport Business Group "GEMAR", the Business Group of the Company "Selecmar", and the Cuba Chamber of Commerce served as a starting point to channel new proposals, now from the Office of the governing Vice Ministry, which could reactivate and give a new direction to the commercial ties between both countries in this strategic sector.
Pino Martínez reiterated Cuba's interest in strengthening its commercial and cooperation relations in the maritime field, while also expressing gratitude for the warm welcome and encouragement shown by Ms Marina Hadjimanolis and her team. He also updated them on the difficult socio-economic situation that Cuba is going through as a result of the hostile blockade and energy siege imposed on the country by the United States government.
Before saying goodbye, both representatives talked about some priorities mentioned by the deputy head of maritime affairs in a recent interview published in Gold magazine, where she affirmed the importance that her institution places on human resources training: “Supporting, training, and empowering sailors means investing in the future of maritime transport itself (…) Cyprus works to ensure that tomorrow’s maritime workforce is skilled, resilient, and ready to face upcoming challenges,” the deputy minister explained.
With this premise, both parties agreed to explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, drawing from the expertise and prestige of the Cypriot shipping industry, one of the most important and recognized in the world.
Embassy of Cuba in Cyprus.