Global Celebrities Give CIIE the Thumbs-up series

Interviewees:

Marios Tsiakkis, Secretary General, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Panicos Kaouris, President, Cyprus China Business Association

Chris Michael, President, Cyprus China Economic and Cultural Promotion Association

Cyprus is a shining pearl in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern gateway to the EU market. It also serves as an important stop along the Belt and Road Initiative.

Benefitting from its unique geographical position, Cyprus has played an important role in East-West trade, said Panicos Kaouris, President of Cyprus China Business Association, who noted that as a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Cyprus can provide a stepping stone for Chinese investment to the EU, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Cyprus is going to exert certain influences on the B&R Initiative, and, with the help of its membership in the EU, a lot of things can be achieved, said Chris Michael, President of Cyprus China Economic and Cultural Promotion Association.

When talking about the advantageous industries in Cyprus, all the three guests recommend the locally-produced Halloumi. The dairy sector in Cyprus is highly competitive. The locally- produced Halloumi performs well in global sales and has been exported to the United States, Australia, the UK etc. in large quantities.

The domestically-made wine and Zivania were also repeatedly mentioned. “Our wine is one of the best, we can say, in Europe,” said Chris Michael, President of Cyprus China Economic and Cultural Promotion Association.

Besides dairy and wine products, Marios Tsiakkis, Secretary General of Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry thinks Cyprus also excels in the export and manufacture of pharmaceutical products.

Moreover, Cyprus is an exporter of cement products. It also manufactures and exports a lot of plastics and recyclable materials.

As a service-oriented economy, Cyprus has done a great and successful job in providing professional services to international companies. Tourism is also a major sector of the economy, offering many opportunities for Cyprus-China cooperation, said the secretary general.

All three guests express their expectations for the Chinese market, “It is a huge market with high potential for Cypriot exports”, “quite astonishing and admirable achievements”.

Chris Michael, President of Cyprus China Economic and Cultural Promotion Association believes that they need to change the strategy and get the new ideas to open up the Chinese market.

Panicos Kaouris, President of Cyprus China Business Association sees the CIIE as an excellent initiative and offers his best wishes to its success. He also hopes that other leading economies can follow the example of China, create and organize such events.

The CIIE is a good opportunity for Cypriot companies to promote their products, said Chris Michael, adding that “Because without the promotion, how can Chinese be interested to import from Cyprus?”