MINISTER for Commerce and Tourism Nicos Rolandis has hailed three agreements signed with Greece yesterday as historic, not only in the development of economic relations, but in national relations as well.
Rolandis told the Cyprus Mail the agreement over technology centred on the development of ‘technology incubators’ and greater fluidity in the exchange of information. Expanding on the details of the agreement, Rolandis said, “Similar to the practice in Silicon Valley in America and Israel, ideas will be developed within these technology incubators.”
Rolandis also revealed that similar agreements were being drawn up with three other countries, Russia, India and America. The agreement in the US will be made directly with the University of Albany.
In addition to the agreement on technological collaboration, the Minister added that an agreement had been signed to promote greater tourism between the two countries.
Last year, some 300,000 Cypriots visited Greece but only a third of that figure visited Cyprus. “Last year’s figure (of 100,000) was a 50 per cent increase in the number of visitors to Cyprus from Greece on the previous year but it is still not enough,” said Rolandis. The agreement gives the green light to the opening of a branch of the Greek Tourism Organisation (EOL) on the island, which will promote tourism between the two countries.
The third agreement encompassed energy issues and the proposition of industrial ventures. “The agreement covers all aspects of energy co-operation between the two countries including renewable sources and natural gas,” said Rolandis. “The agreement on industrial ventures focuses on facilitating the formation of mainly small and medium sized companies.”
The agreements were signed in Nicosia with visiting Greek Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
