Remarks by
the President of the Republic
on his visit to the United Arab
Emirates
The President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades
has expressed his conviction that the arduous efforts of the Government to
attract foreign investments to Cyprus will be vindicated, noting that the United
Arab Emirates show great interest for investments in particular projects in
Cyprus.
In his remarks to reporters, with regard to his official
visit in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the President of the Republic said that “the third
cycle of visits to countries of the Arab Gulf has been completed.
In assessing the visits, I want to believe that the
effort that has been made will eventually bear fruit.
Beyond the deepening of the relations and the renewal of
the bonds, which have linked the Republic of Cyprus with the states of the Arab
Gulf for decades, I must confess, without creating any misconception whatsoever,
that there is intense interest.
I want to assess the results: First, the United Arab
Emirates, for the first time, will open an Embassy in the Republic of Cyprus
within a few months. It is just a procedural matter of finding the location and
for the accreditation.
Second, through the efforts made with the visits in
Kuwait and Qatar, the first results concern the coming visits to Cyprus of the
investment funds of Kuwait in late April and one of the investment funds of
Qatar in early May. This will be followed by the possible visit of the Emir of
Qatar himself, with delegations from specific investment funds.
With regard to the United Arab Emirates, beyond the
excellent conditions that prevailed during my visit, we have ascertained an
intense interest to create prospects for funds of the United Arab Emirates to
visit Cyprus shortly. And they have shown a particular interest, following a
dialogue we had with the Crown Prince, for a specific development project in
Larnaca, which during recent days has provoked, unjustifiably in my view, some
reactions.
I should note that flights from the Arab Gulf to Cyprus
have increased considerably, thereby creating prospects for a tourist linkage
not only for tourists from the Arab Gulf but also from Asia, something that will
certainly provide another dimension in the growth of the touristic current
toward Cyprus.
We will continue persistently and relentlessly, and with the hope
that the advantages that Cyprus offers for investments, but also more generally
in the growth of business activities as a European country, beyond Europe, are
significant. And I believe that in the end, the arduous efforts that were made
and are being made will be vindicated.”
