President Demetris Christofias paid host to his Indian counterpart, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, on Saturday, where apart from the political issues and international relations, high on the agenda of talks were bilateral trade and investments.
The Indian president, accompanied by her Minister for Human Resource Development, D. Purandeswari, and a large business delegation, described her meeting at the Presidential Palace as “cordial and substantive, noting that during the meeting the strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples were reaffirmed, as well as the intention of the two countries to further strengthen their bilateral relations in all fields, both political as well as economic.”
President Christofias stated that with the Indian president they exchanged views on regional and international issues.
“Appreciating the contribution of India in the international political scene, we consider that, if in the future a decision is made to reform the UN Security Council, India should be entitled to a permanent position”, he added.
In statements to the press, Mrs. Patil said, “we affirmed our desire to further develop our bilateral economic and commercial relations in a cross-sectoral manner.”
“Economic development of Cyprus is a true success story. India rejoices in the rapid development achieved by the people of Cyprus. Given its commitment to developing knowledge-based and hi-technology industry as one of the pillars of the economy, possibilities for cooperation with India in these areas are numerous,” she said.
AREAS OF COOPERATION
“IT and IT-enabled services are areas of India’s core competence. Biotechnology, R&D projects, agro-food processing, financial services, pharmaceuticals, tourism, film industry, construction, automobiles are some of the other areas of potential co-operation. In our discussions, we also agreed that our bilateral trade which stands at USD 68.7 mln is much below potential and efforts to increase it should be explored.”
“India considers Cyprus a time-tested and valuable ally. We appreciate its support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council.”
Mrs. Patil said that she invited Demetris Christofias and the First Lady to visit India. “We look forward to welcoming them in India.”
In his address at the state dinner on Saturday night, President Christofias said, “India is a country with a long history and tradition and has significantly contributed to global civilisation. Today, it is characterised by a powerful dynamism and plays a decisive role in the achievements that humanity has made in recent years, in areas such as IT, technology and pharmaceuticals.”
“During our meeting, we decided that we would explore all possible fields of co-operation in order to take advantage of all the possibilities and prospects before us, to the benefit of both our peoples,” he said, adding that “we did not limit our discussions to strengthening our co-operation in the fields of economy, commerce and investments, but at the same time, we confirmed our commitment to democratic principles and values, friendship and mutual respect, which were built on solid foundations.”
DYNAMIC CENTRE
In her response, the President of India said, “your country’s ancient history, archaeological wealth, natural beauty and unique location at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe make it not only a major tourism destination, but also a dynamic centre for shipping, financial services as well as a hub for frontier technologies.”
“Our two countries share faith in democracy, respect for diversity, and strive for a peaceful environment in which our people can benefit from the fruits of rapid and sustainable development. We have both overcome conflict and adversity and, in the face of challenges, we have achieved much that we can be proud of. We, however, need to imbue our friendship with far more substantive cooperation on economic, scientific and technological fronts. Cyprus can be assured of India’s full commitment to deepening and enhancing the bilateral relationship.”
Mrs. Patil said that information technology, renewable sources of energy, innovations in the automobile sector, sustainable tourism projects, infrastructure projects, health and wellness are some of the promising areas for further enhancement of our mutually beneficial engagement.
“Governments of both countries need to encourage business people and institutions to impart greater energy in their mutual interaction. Just as the membership of the EU enlarges frontiers of opportunity of Cyprus, the rapid economic growth of India in recent years, even in the adverse global financial conditions, provides profitable opportunities for medium and long-term investments.”
In a separate meeting, House President Marios Garoyian also underlined the mutual will for further developing and expanding those relations, noting in particular the prospects for cooperation in the economic and trade sectors.
President Patil, referring to the deeply rooted ties of friendship between the two countries, noted that those ties could develop further today and cover additional sectors such as economy, technology and education.
PHOTO: India’s president, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, addressing the India Business Forum, organized in cooperation with the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE), as Justice Minister Loucas Louca and KEVE chairman Manthos Mavrommatis look on.
