Address
by the President of the Republic, Mr N. Anastasiades,
at
workshop on renewable energy applications
Your Excellencies,
Mr Director General of
the International Renewable Energy Agency,
Distinguished guests,
On
behalf of the Government of Cyprus, it gives me great pleasure to
extend our warmest welcome to all delegates,
especially those who have travelled from abroad to join us on such an
auspicious occasion initiated by the International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network.
I
feel
truly honored and privileged to be addressing this second day of the
workshop on Renewable Energy Applications for Island Tourism.
I
have
no doubt that through the discussions held and the resulting exchange
of knowledge and best practices, this important event has already
ushered a new era of bilateral, regional and international
cooperation on Renewable Energy between island countries and
territories, all over the world.
After
all, by highlighting the significance of the contribution of
Renewables
to the tourism sector, the workshop is actively supporting the
ongoing efforts made by such countries, including Cyprus, in
introducing and accelerating the deployment of Renewable Energy
Sources in their energy mix. Our shared vision is that through IRENA
networks and support, the private sector will be greatly facilitated
in developing the viable business models necessary to expand the
energy market in the crucial tourism industry.
Cyprus
had enthusiastically endorsed the establishment of an international
agency that will be dedicated to promoting Renewable Energy from the
very beginning of its inception.
As
such,
our country was an active member of IRENA’s Policy and Strategy
Committee during 2011 to 2013, whereas in 2014 it was selected as a
Council Member of the Agency. Moreover, Cyprus has been a member of
the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network since Malta’s
initiative in September 2012.
As
a
small island country located in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has
an energy system isolated from the European and regional grids and
dependent on expensive energy imports. As a result, establishing and
enhancing energy cooperation with neighboring countries is one of our
top priorities. For example, just last month I personally led a large
delegation from Cyprus on an official visit to Abu Dhabi, where we
signed Memoranda of Understanding in the areas of energy, tourism,
education and science. During the visit I also had the honor of
meeting with His Excellency Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as
well as the Director General of IRENA Mr Adnan Amin.
It
is no
secret that the Cyprus economy is heavily dependent on tourism. In
turn, competition in the tourism industry is directly dependent on
electricity and energy prices. To compete globally, as well as
locally, there is no doubt that such costs need to be drastically
reduced. This is a fact recognized by all stakeholders worldwide, and
Cyprus is among the first countries to have proven, through a bidding
process, that Renewable Energy can be cost-competitive at current
retail prices of electricity.
In
Cyprus
we enjoy yearly more than 300 days with 75% of sunshine.
Unsurprisingly therefore, in addition to all other renewable
technologies, we are now focusing on promoting those technologies
that harness this valuable resource. In fact, our country has the
highest solar heating capacity installed per capita of all European
countries, with approximately 93% of households and 53% of hotels
being equipped with solar water heating systems.
Considering
all these, as well as the fact that Renewable
Energy provides 6.5 million jobs globally, it becomes apparent that
the accelerated deployment of Renewable Energy Sources, in
conjunction with tourism activities, can play a pivotal role in
overcoming our country’s current economic troubles.
As
I
am certain you have been informed during yesterday’s discussions,
Cyprus’ trajectory targets on Renewable Energy Sources have already
been met and exceeded, whereas in the new National Action Plan even
higher Renewable Energy penetration is targeted.
The
success of this policy relies
on three main pillars:
- Public Consultations that involve the active participation of all public and private sector stakeholders.
- Promoting synergies among the various sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, heavy industry, tourism and financial institutions.
- Providing the strong and credible Government commitment that is necessary to support Renewable Energy development and Energy Efficiency measures and to attract further private investment.
Dear delegates,
We are all here today
because as island countries and territories, we share a vision of
enhancing further our bilateral relations and cooperation in two very
important domains for our national and global economies: energy and
tourism. This has to be our first and foremost priority and to this
end large delegations of energy experts and tourism professionals
from Cyprus have joined this event.
In
addition, regular
exchanges of high level visits or meetings through the IRENA Assembly
and other high level workshops will undoubtedly provide further
impetus to our relationship.
In
closing, I would like to
once again thank IRENA for its initiative to hold in Cyprus this
two-day event. I wish every success to the deliberations of today’s
sessions and I look forward to studying your conclusions.
Thank
you all
for your kind attention.
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