Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Dr Nicodemos Damianou was in India on an official visit on 5-6 September, heading a delegation participating in the “CII India Mediterranean Business Conclave” business forum, where he also met with Indian investors interested in doing business in Cyprus.
The forum, was organised by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 6 September in New Delhi, with a view to strengthening regional cooperation and expanding investment and business activities between India and the Mediterranean countries. It was joined by representatives from 28 countries, including Greece, France, Italy, Malta, Croatia and Bulgaria.
During his stay, Damianou met with India’s Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Commerce & Industry, Jidin Prasada, to discuss ways of further enhancing the two countries’ economic and business ties, as well as deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of digital transformation – particularly in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
As part of the forum, Damianou participated in a Ministerial Meeting on Trade, Economic Cooperation and Investment, together with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and delivered a speech at the closing ceremony of the conference on “India-Mediterranean: Shaping cooperation for the future”, which was welcomed by India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The Deputy Minister highlighted the excellent relations and historical friendship between Cyprus and India, with economic and business collaboration being the cornerstone of these strong ties. “By being present at such events that promote not just bilateral but also regional cooperation, we are laying the foundations to further showcase Cyprus’ role as a pillar of stability and growth in the region, while we are also presenting our country’s momentum as a tech and business hub,” he said in an announcement issued by the Deputy Ministry. “Cyprus has unique competitive advantages, such as its geostrategic location, human resources and a business-friendly environment, which we must take full advantage of in order to achieve the goals that we set as a government under Vision 2035; that is, to make our country one of the best countries in the world to live, work and do business.”
Another segment of the forum, entitled “Cyprus Country Roundtable”, saw the deputy minister join the High Commissioner of Cyprus to India, Invest Cyprus, Research and Innovation Foundation as well as the companies Eurobank and PwC Cyprus to present Cyprus’ advantages as an investment and business destination, as well as the opportunities for cooperation and investment in sectors like technology, innovation, shipping and investment funds.
Furthermore, Damianou accompanied by Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology Demetris Skourides, participated in a separate event that was organised by Invest Cyprus and attended by Indian tech companies interested in doing business in Cyprus. The aim was to promote the island as an emerging tech and innovation hub, as well as a reliable gateway into Europe.
Finally, he held a series of B2B meetings with foreign companies and investors interested in becoming active in Cyprus and collaborating with Cypriot companies.