Natasa Pilides, Cyprus' former top investment advocate, has set her sights on ways to help boost the maritime industry in her role as the country's new shipping minister.

"In terms of shipping in general, I think there are a lot of challenges that Cyprus is involved in," she told TradeWinds during CapitalLink's Invest in Cyprus Forum in New York.

Pilides was appointed in March as the maritime island nation's first-ever deputy minister of shipping to the president of Cyprus.