Digitisation, cybersecurity and the promotion of relations between the business communities of the two countries were the focus of the contacts that the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, had in Romania during his official visit to the country between 13 and 15 September, following an invitation by his counterpart, the Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitisation, Sebastian Burduja.
According to a statement by the Deputy Ministry, Kokkinos, accompanied by the Honorary Consul of Romania in Cyprus and President of the Cyprus-Romania Business Association, Marios Klitou, as well as the Ambassador of Romania to Cyprus, Dan Mihalache, was received by the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, with whom he discussed ways to deepen and broaden cooperation between the two countries, both at the bilateral and European level.
Subsequently, as mentioned, the Deputy Minister attended consultations with the Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitisation, Sebastian Burduja, and the Romanian Digitisation Authority, during which the areas of cooperation that will be included in a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries were decided.
It is noted that the forthcoming MoU will provide, inter alia, for the exchange of know-how and expertise regarding modern models for the development of digital services, the transition to cloud computing and the use of artificial intelligence, while emphasis will also be given to the promotion of innovative entrepreneurship and the formation of partnerships between the research and business community of the two countries.
It is stressed that the issue of cybersecurity was also at the centre of the Deputy Minister’s contacts, during which he stressed that in an era of ever-increasing threats, every state and every organisation must attach the appropriate importance to this area, an element essential for building a resilient and competitive digital economy.
Kokkinos, accompanied by the Commissioner for Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation, George Michaelides, met with the National Directorate and the National Cybersecurity Centre of Romania, with the aim of expanding the existing cooperation between Cyprus and Romania, with priority areas being education and training for capacity building, the formation of structures and mechanisms for better protection, prevention and response to cyber-attacks, as well as the formation of a culture of security across the whole spectrum of the social and economic structure.
In addition, it is stated that Kokkinos met with Ioan-Sabin Sărmaş, Chairman of the Information and Communication Technologies Committee of the Lower House of Parliament and Chairman of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which will take place in Romania at the end of September and in which the Republic of Cyprus will participate with an enlarged delegation, headed by the Director General of the Deputy Ministry Dr. Stelios Chimonas.
It is also reported that in the framework of the visit, Kokkinos participated in a business forum organised by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cyprus-Romania Business Association, with the aim of promoting Cyprus as an attractive business centre in the technology and services sectors, and attended a banquet organised in his honour by the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the same time, the Deputy Minister, accompanied by Marios Klitou, met with business executives and companies operating in the IT sector, which have shown interest in doing business in Cyprus.
The statement closes with statements by the Deputy Minister of Research, in which he speaks of a new era for the already strong ties between the governments, the business communities and the peoples of Cyprus and Romania.
“On the basis of common goals, as they have been formulated in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans of both countries, we are joining forces and laying the foundations for building a better future, based on knowledge and digital technology, for both countries”, Kokkinos concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency