Stelios Award for business cooperation in Cyprus

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the serial entrepreneur and founder of easyGroup, will personally fund awards to promote island-wide, bi-communal business cooperation between Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriot entrepreneurs.

Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriot entrepreneurs gathered Monday evening at the residence of Britain's High Commissioner to Cyprus Peter Millett.

Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou speaking to the entrepreneurs called them to ''grasp the opportunity, because it is important to show the way''.

''We are trying very hard to find a solution. I hope we will achieve it. We are fanatically favour of a solution and we are working for the unity of this country and the unity of this country will partly manifested through a united economy'', he added.

Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, in a written message read out by Britain's High Commissioner, congratulated Sir Stelios for his initiative “to reward those who show the willingness to cooperate and create business ventures together in Cyprus our common homeland”.

''I would encourage entrepreneurs from both sides of our island to make good use of this offer whose main distinguished criteria is coming together as Turkish and Greek Cypriots by doing so they will not only have a chance to win a reward but also a chance to contribute to a much bigger cause which is to contribute to peace and reconciliation in Cyprus'', he added.

Pledging to give away as much as 1million euros over the next four years, Sir Stelios will review applications personally and select the winning teams best able to demonstrate effective teamwork, mutual trust and the best prospects for business viability in the future.

Up to five winning teams per year will each be presented a personal check for 50.000 euros per team by Stelios himself in a ceremony in Nicosia at the end of 2009 and each year thereafter for up to four years, depending on the caliber of applicants.