The meeting spanned decarbonization, competitiveness, international maritime governance,  maritime security, and the human element

The Malta International Shipowners Association MISA has announced that Emanuele Grimaldi will assume the position of President following its Annual General Meeting, which was held on 9 October at the Malta Chamber of Commerce in Valletta. John Coustas will continue to serve as Secretary and Treasurer. This change of leadership comes at a time when the Malta Shipping Register has reached 94 million gross tonnes, thus consolidating its position as Europe's leading shipping register and bringing it closer to reaching the 100 million gross tonnes threshold

On being appointed, Grimaldi commented as follows: 'MISA was founded in 2004, on the eve of Malta's accession to the European Union. It was established based on a shared vision to provide a unified voice for shipowners and bareboat charterers of Maltese-flagged vessels operating in international markets. I am proud to have been actively involved in the association since its inception, and I would like to thank John Lyras — with whom I shared this vision — as well as the other founding members and former presidents Nicky Pappadakis and Melina Travlos, for their contributions. Special recognition must go to the outgoing President, Marily Frangista, for her extraordinary dedication and all her hard work, particularly over the last couple of years, to strengthen MISA, increase its visibility and deepen its international engagement. It is a privilege for me to succeed her. I will strive to consolidate the progress made and further strengthen MISA as an authoritative and effective voice for its members.”

Related: Emanuele Grimaldi, Honorary Member of the National Order of Merit of Malta

John C. Lyras, founding member of MISA, said: “I could not imagine a better successor for Marily than Emanuele. After his recently concluded term as president of the International Chamber of Shipping, and his previous roles at the helm of Confitarma and European Shipowners | Ecsa, Emanuele brings exceptional international experience to MISA. His strong ties to Malta and his contributions to the international maritime sector, as evidenced by the honors and awards bestowed upon him by several countries, including Malta, make him the ideal person to take MISA to the next level of commitment and involvement, both nationally and internationally.”

Outgoing President Marily Frangista stated: "It has been a great privilege to serve as President of MISA for the past four and a half years. I am delighted that Emanuele Grimaldi, a founding member of our Association and one of the most influential figures in the international maritime community, is now assuming the presidency. I wish him every success and look forward to continuing to support MISA and its activities."

A liaison between the Maltese-flagged fleet and the Maltese authorities

Dr. Claudia Vella Casagrande, Secretary General of MISA, said “MISA has made important progress in strengthening its role as a bridge between the Malta-flagged fleet and the Maltese authorities, expanded its presence at European and international levels, and broadened its membership to better reflect the diversity of the fleet. We look forward to building on this progress with Emanuele and further  strengthening MISA’s contribution to Malta’s maritime future.” 

Related: Grimaldi inaugurates the first river-sea line from China to Africa

MISA’s gathering underlined the Association’s growing reach, bringing together senior representatives of the government, opposition, authorities, diplomats and maritime stakeholders. Minister Chris Bonett participated throughout the programme, while Ministers Silvio Schembri and  Miriam Dalli contributed by video. International participants included Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary  General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and Fanny Lossy, Senior Director at European  Shipowners | ECSA. European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas also attended MISA’s dinner on 8  October. 

Key maritime issues on the meeting agenda

The discussions spanned decarbonization, competitiveness, international maritime governance,  maritime security and the human element. They reflected the pride MISA’s members take in flying the  Malta flag and their commitment to its continued success. MISA emphasised the need to strengthen  Malta’s wider maritime business environment through closer coordination across Government and continued engagement between the authorities and the international shipowners it represents, while encouraging Malta to make fuller use of its considerable standing and influence as a leading flag State in shaping European and international shipping policy.

About MISA 

Established in 2004, the Malta International Shipowners’ Association (MISA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation representing owners and bareboat charterers of Maltese ships engaged in international shipping. MISA provides a collective voice for its members at national, European and international levels, promoting their interests and the competitiveness of the Malta flag and wider maritime business environment.    

MISA's membership continues to grow and diversify, reflecting the breadth of the Malta-flagged fleet and its international ownership. Its membership currently includes shipping interests from Greece, Italy,  Türkiye, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland. Its recently introduced  Associate Membership category also extends participation in the Association to maritime service providers supporting the Malta-flagged fleet. 

MISA is a full national member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and European Shipowners  | ECSA. It is also a corporate member of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, the  Malta Maritime Forum (MMF), and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (Malta Branch). 

Source: Press Release

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