The 2nd Cyprus Economic Summit was held in Kyrenia on Friday.
Organised by the Creditwest Bank in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and the Cyprus Turkish Banks Union, the aim of the summit was to focus on what the condition of post-solution banking and the real estate sector in Cyprus would be like.
President Mustafa Akıncı delivered the opening speech of the summit which took place on Friday afternoon at the Acapulco Resort Convention Spa Hotel in Kyrenia
A video prepared by the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide was screened during the event.
In his video message Eide said that the sky was the limit in a potential a Cyprus settlement.
A united federal Cyprus could exceed the predicted growth patterns of the currently divided communities.
“All Cypriots can trade with all neighbours and everyone can trade with the European Union; there are new investment opportunities; there are new opportunities for commerce and services based on the island serving a broader region – I think generally, the sky is the limit to what could happen in the context of a settlement,” he said.
“But these things do not just happen; they have to be taken care of as we move forward in the Cyprus talks themselves, which is why I keep insisting that we really need to think through the economic dimensions of all aspects of the Cyprus talks.”
“This must be part of what we are doing and this is exactly what the economic chapters are dealing with,” he added.
Referring to his contacts with the IMF and the World Bank, he said that those institutions were working to produce a broader image of the Cyprus economy, post solution.
“The level of support we have from these institutions is unprecedented, not only in Cyprus but also internationally, and I’m very grateful for that,” said Eide.
He also pointed to the support of the EU Commission and the EU Central Bank. Eide said he was grateful for their intense involvement in the reunification process, preparing the EU acquis and adopting the euro across the island
“These are key, important elements of a successful economic solution to a divided Cyprus,” Eide concluded.
BRTK, Cyprus Mail
