Outgoing Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades called on the Federation of Employers and Industrialists (OEB) to continue close cooperation with the newly elected President Nikos Christodoulides for the sake of the economy.
Anastasiades’ comments came during a lunch offered by OEB to honour the outgoing President who on March 1 ends his ten-year tenure at the helm of the Republic of Cyprus.
“During your tenure you tackled the worst and largest crises in Cyprus following the (1974) coup d’etat and the (Turkish) invasion which you succeeded to manage successfully,” OEB President Antonis Antoniou said awarding President Anastasiades an honourary plaque.
Anastasiades assumed office in 2013 as Cyprus was amid a severe financial crisis and agreed with its lenders on a €10 billion bailout. In 2021 Cyprus managed to recover the ground lost in the Covid-19 pandemic while the Cypriot economy marked strong growth in 2022 despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing soaring inflation.
Addressing Anastasiades, Antoniou noted, through these difficult years OEB’s close cooperation with you has decisively contributed to the rapid exit from the crises and the country’s broader financial stability.
On his part, Anastasiades thanked OEB for the excellent cooperation during the three crises Cyprus has faced since 2013.
“Crises which have been tackled thanks to our close and successful collaboration to the benefit not only the employers but especially the employees, the self-employed persons and businesses alike,” he said.
The outgoing President said that “through collaboration we have successfully tackled three significant crises affecting our country,” noting that today amid a war affecting the global economy Cyprus is showing strong growth rates, attracting multinational technology firms which have relocated in Cyprus, while it has offset the blow in the tourist sector due to the sanctions imposed on Russia, which was the second largest tourist market of Cyprus.
He noted that amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Cyprus has registered a 5.6% growth rate last year.
“This highlights fiscal discipline we have implemented and the measures which have not harmed by benefited both employees and businesses alike and I would like that the same approach would be followed with the President-elect,” he said.
Turning to Antoniou, Anastasiades said he is certain that “you will continue the same close collaboration (with the new President) in a way that would be beneficial for Cyprus, through the continued growth of the economy, secured by the Recovery and Resilience Programme ‘Cyprus Tomorrow’ which is the legacy offered by my government to the new President.”
Source: Cyprus News Agency