Marina of Ayia Napa: Visit of the Deputy Minister of Shipping (VIDEO + IMAGES)

The St. Napa Marina has a lot to offer not only in the region but also in the role that Cyprus can play as a shipping state in the Eastern Mediterranean, said today the Deputy Minister of Shipping Natasa Pileidou.

See footage and statements recorded by Famagusta.News:

Natasa Pileidou: "Jumps from the construction of the marina"

In a statement after a visit to the Marina of Ayia Napa where he was informed about the progress of the project, the Undersecretary said that “jumps have been made in terms of construction and design of the marina, which is expected to be beyond expectations, in terms of modern facilities. but also the way of controlling and managing the boats and all the other infrastructures and activities ”.

He added that "the issue of Blue Growth is very important to us. As the Undersecretary of State for the Development and Implementation of the Blue Development Strategy, we believe that marinas have a particularly important role to play, not only because of the vessels they attract, but also because of the maritime tourism and upgrading that it has to offer. Cyprus, but also because the citizens of Cyprus have the opportunity to connect more with the maritime and shipping identity of our country, which, although it has existed for many years, was less noticeable and less perceived in the world in everyday life. of".

He also noted that the St. Napa Marina "has a lot to offer not only in the region but also in the whole country and in the role that Cyprus has to play as a shipping state in the Eastern Mediterranean".

Answering a relevant question, Ms. Pileidou said that “the Ministry of Shipping is already working on a policy for yachts that concerns the modernization of our approach to registering yachts on the Cypriot register, so that the process is simpler and more friendly. We hope that we will be able to expand our presence in this part of the pie that is something that has not been done before ".

To another question, the Undersecretary replied that the information she had about the St. Napa marina impressed her “professionalism and the approach to how the whole process will work with the mooring of boats, with the acceptance of boats of all sizes, there are that is, from small boats to cruise ships. It is very important that there are provisions for the marina to receive boats in the area of ​​Famagusta, since the specific area was not able to accept boats of large boats and cruise ships "he said and expressed the belief that" this will add a lot to the area. The marina also combines the naval part with the tourist aspect so that each visitor can do a lot of things in the space, something that will also interest the Cypriot visitors ".

In a remark that the marina of Ayia Napa will be another entrance to the Republic of Cyprus, Mrs. Pileidou said that "like all marinas and legal spaces for mooring, it is an entrance to the Republic that ensures all the security barriers that are applied in the presence of the Port Police, the Authorities that make all the necessary checks".

He added that "the decrees that have been issued so far to limit the spread of corona include provisions according to which Cyprus accepts passengers and crews from pleasure boats. The marina of Ayia Napa and all the marinas and the legal spaces for mooring of the Republic of Cyprus can be accepted by tourists who arrive with yachts, with the same provisions that apply with the arrival of passengers at the airports ".

In a relevant question, Ms. Pileidou said that even in this difficult time that the world is going through due to the pandemic of the corona, "there is the possibility for tourists to arrive by boat and vacation in Cyprus, based on the provisions that have been included in the specific decrees".

Stavros Karamontanis: "From June 1, the marina accepts boats"

For his part, Stavros Karamontanis, CEO of MM Makronisos Marina Ltd, expressed satisfaction with the visit of the Deputy Minister of Shipping to the marina of Ayia Napa and described the cooperation between the two sides as "very good".

He added that "we must be grateful to foreign investors but also to our persistence and hard work that we have done for so many years, because today we have a marina that has opened up to everyone for boats. From the 1st of June, the marina receives boats and provides all the services and we are moving towards the completion of the project ".

He also said that the pandemic of coronavirus "has ruined the programs we had planned, such as e.g. The shopping area is not ready so that people who dock their boats or come from abroad can use the dining areas. However, the program of the marina continues and the project will be unique for both the region and the Eastern Mediterranean, because it has a special design and will attract both foreigners and locals ".

Mr. Karamontanis also noted that “the construction of marinas in Cyprus is necessary in order to develop maritime tourism properly. We are cooperating with the Undersecretaries of Shipping and Tourism ".

Asked if "the trade zone will be completed by the end of the year and housing development will be completed by the end of 2022. It is important that, as the agreement with the state provides, we have delivered the part that has to do with the port projects and berths, which have already begun to receive boats ”.

Konstantinos Fytiris: "Ready to welcome the first boat from abroad"

For his part, the Director of the Agia Napa Marina, Konstantinos Fytiris, said that “the marina has already started its commercial operation, after five months of pilot operation, where all the problems that arose were solved. This afternoon we will receive the first ship from abroad, specifically Portugal, in compliance with all the provisions of the government's decrees concerning the coronaio ".

At the same time, he expressed the hope that "the arrival of boats from neighboring countries will begin, which is, after all, our pursuit as a market. In particular, we expect the arrival of ships from Israel and Lebanon, "he said, noting that the corona pandemic has affected the arrival of ships, as several requests for hosting and mooring boats have been suspended. However, I believe that if Cyprus continues at this pace of reducing corona cases and we are a safe destination, we will move forward and the marina will be full of boats. "

Answering a relevant question, Mr. Fytiris said that “four people are on board the boat that arrives from Portugal in the afternoon, it is traveling for 18 days at sea, it has not caught a port for more than 14 days, so all that is required is the test for coronaio. In case the test is negative then the passengers will be free to get off the boat and enjoy the beauties of Cyprus ".

He added: "We have been in contact with mobile crews from the companies authorized by the state to perform a corona test, they will reach the marina, they will do the test on the boat, the passengers will remain on the boat until its results come out. tests and if they are negative, then they can be downloaded ”.

He added that "we still do not know how long it will take for the results of the coronation test to come out, it will depend on the type of test that the companies will do."

Famagusta.News / KYPE