The President of the Cyprus Union of Shipowners, George Mouskas, had on the 2nd of July 2015, a working lunch/meeting with Foreign and Commonwealth Office official Mr. Nicholas Wareham, head of the Eastern Mediterranean desk. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the on-going Turkish embargo on all Cyprus flag vessels.
Mr Mouskas briefed him on the negative effects of this embargo and asked the British government to help in persuading Turkey to finally lift this illegal embargo and to implement the Ankara Protocol. Both sides agreed that lifting the embargo will have positive effects on
Cyprus, Turkey and the EU as a whole.
Mr Mouskas also handed a letter, addressed to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stating the position of the Cyprus Union of Shipowners regarding the embargo on Cyprus flag vessels. In the letter, Mr Mouskas wrote:
""Our belief and that of our Members, is that Turkey's Membership of the European Union would be a good thing in general, as it would allow a large economy to trade as a full European Member. This would help in expanding world trade, which is always good for shipping. However, if this is to happen, then Turkey has to meet its obligations and lift the embargo on Cyprus Flag vessels, so that we truly have free trade within Europe, which at the moment we do not"".
In this respect, Mr Mouskas urged the Foreign Secretary and the UK Government to do what they can to help Cyprus, by using their good relations with Turkey, to try and lift this embargo, which will be beneficial not just to Cyprus and Turkey, but to the European Union as a whole.