EX-12.1 9 exhibit121.htm EX-12.1 exhibit121
 
 
Exhibit 12.1
CERTIFICATION
 
OF THE PRINCIPAL
 
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
I, Semiramis Paliou, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Diana Shipping
 
Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2023;
2.
 
Based
 
on my
 
knowledge,
 
this report
 
does not
 
contain
 
any untrue
 
statement of
 
a material
 
fact
 
or omit
 
to state
 
a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of
 
the circumstances under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based
 
on my
 
knowledge,
 
the financial
 
statements, and
 
other financial
 
information
 
included
 
in this
 
report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations
 
and cash flows of the company as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The company’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and
 
procedures
 
(as
 
defined
 
in
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
Rules
 
13a-15(e)
 
and
 
15d-15(e))
 
and
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the
 
company and have:
(a)
 
Designed
 
such
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures,
 
or
 
caused
 
such
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures
 
to
 
be
designed under our supervision, to
 
ensure that material information
 
relating to the company, including its
 
consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is
being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
 
reporting to
be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and
the
 
preparation
 
of
 
financial
 
statements
 
for
 
external
 
purposes
 
in
 
accordance
 
with
 
generally
 
accepted
 
accounting
principles;
(c) Evaluated the
 
effectiveness of
 
the company’s
 
disclosure controls
 
and procedures and
 
presented in this
 
report our
conclusions about the
 
effectiveness of the
 
disclosure controls and
 
procedures, as of the
 
end of the period
 
covered by
this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
the period
 
covered by
 
the annual
 
report that
 
has materially
 
affected, or
 
is reasonably
 
likely to
 
materially affect,
 
the
company’s internal control over financial
 
reporting; and
5. The
 
company’s
 
other
 
certifying
 
officer(s)
 
and
 
I have
 
disclosed,
 
based on
 
our
 
most recent
 
evaluation
 
of internal
control over financial
 
reporting, to the
 
company’s auditors and the
 
audit committee of
 
the company’s board of
 
directors
(or persons performing
 
the equivalent functions):
(a) All
 
significant deficiencies
 
and material
 
weaknesses in
 
the design
 
or operation
 
of internal
 
control over
 
financial
reporting
 
which
 
are reasonably
 
likely
 
to adversely
 
affect
 
the company’s
 
ability to
 
record,
 
process,
 
summarize
 
and
report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud,
 
whether or not material,
 
that involves management
 
or other employees
 
who have a significant
 
role in
the company’s internal
 
control over financial reporting.
Date: April 4, 2024
/s/ Semiramis Paliou
Semiramis Paliou
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)