Business cooperation between Limassol and Tel Aviv has entered a dynamic new stage, in the wake of a highly successful Limassol Chamber mission to the Israel. Heading the Limassol delegation were the Chamber President Costas Galatariotis and the Vice President in charge of International Relations Heros Miltiadous.
The delegation, made up of a number of companies from specialized economic sectors chosen in close cooperation with the Tel Aviv Chamber, took place in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding that the two Chambers had signed in Limassol in February 2016, which provides for broad scale cooperation not just at Chamber-to-Chamber level, but also amongst the enterprises-members of the two organizations.
The members of the Limassol Chamber delegation were warmly welcomed at the Tel Aviv Chamber, with Chamber President Uriel Lynn expressing his satisfaction at the fact that the process of bilateral cooperation that was carved out with President Costas Galatariotis is going on smoothly and speedily, in the direction of doing what it takes to conclude tangible concluding deals between enterprises from the two cities. Mr. Lynn, who is also President of Israeli Chambers Federation, referred to the very good prospects for cooperation between Tel Aviv and Limassol, as well as between Cyprus and Israel in general, reiterating his position for ‘’Israel-Cyprus, two countries, one economy’’, an idea that has already been presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In response, the Limassol Chamber President hailed the steady steps forward towards strengthening bilateral business cooperation, pointing out that significant progress has already been made within a relatively short timespan towards strengthening bilateral business cooperation. Mr. Galatariotis referred to the Chinese saying, that ‘’a march of 1000 miles begins with a first step’’, pointing out that when it comes to relations between the two Chambers, the march that started with his first meeting with President Lynn in November 2015 and was formalized three months later with the signing of the MOU, was continuing unabated with Limassol Chamber delegation to Tel Aviv was one more step in that direction.
Also present during the meeting at the Tel Aviv Chamber was the Cypriot Ambassador to Israel Thessalia-Salina Shiambos who, in her own greeting, hailed what has already been achieved in bilateral relations at state-to-state level, noting, moreover, that the initiative of the two Chambers was commendable and is fully in line with the objective of making use of all available opportunities for mutual benefit.
Therefore followed B2B meetings between the members of the Limassol Chamber delegation and interested Israeli companies, with the parties getting to know each and pondering specific areas of cooperation. Participating in the Limassol Chamber delegation was amongst others, the Cyprus University of Technology the Rector of which had a series of meetings with Israeli technological and research organization. Members of the delegation also had the opportunity to visit the premises of organizations with activities pertinent to their interests.
Past the B2B meetings, the Israeli Chamber hosted the Limassol Chamber delegation to a reception attended by some 100 guests.
The Limassol Chamber mission to Tel Aviv, which was accompanied by the head of the Commercial Department of the Israeli Embassy in Cyprus and by the President of the Cyprus-Israel Business Association, was the first of its kind. More will follow in the near future, the objective being to cover, to the maximum possible extent, the whole spectrum of economic activity within which there could be scope for business cooperation.
