NICOSIA: After 21 years, Cyprus, an island country in the eastern Mediterranean, has re-established a regular sea contact with the outside world. President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus attended a ceremony in Limassol on Sunday to commemorate the commissioning of a ferry connection with Greece, praising the event as "historic."

"At long last, the umbilical cord that connected Cyprus and Greece through shipping is being re-established in a more efficient manner, with more contemporary ships, but most importantly, with the most crucial feature, which was to offer this alternative option to the residents who want it," he said.

In October 2001, the last ferry from Cyprus to Greece reportedly left. Only cargo ships and international cruise ships stopped in Cypriot ports after that.

Ferries from Limassol to Rhodes and Piraeus ran on a regular basis until 2001, when they were phased out in favour of a 90-minute flight to Athens, as flights to Athens became more frequent and affordable.

Thousands of persons with aviation fear or who simply desired a leisurely vacation to Greece with the option of bringing a car sought the return of a ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece at all times.

After getting special authorisation from the European Union, the Cypriot government had to offer a 5.5-million-euro (nearly USD5.77) annual subsidy to entice ship owners to operate a regular ferry route between Limassol and Piraeus.

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