Russians keen in Paphos tourist investments

* Mikhail Prokhorov considers move to Cyprus

A Russian company is keen to invest in a tourist project in Paphos, the town’s mayor Savvas Vergas said after returning from Moscow.
He said the project was presented during a ceremony in Moscow, and provides for the construction of cafes, restaurants, reception halls and other services, and a small marina west of Paphos.
Vergas added that the project includes seaplane facilities carrying holidaymakers to and from the Greek Islands, Israel and Egypt. This will help ease the concerns of the Paphos tourism industry after Cyprus Airways terminated all its flights from the island’s second airport, as part of the troubled state carrier’s cost-cutting measures.
Meanwhile, media reports suggest that one of Russia’s leading business figures and a close aide of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Prokhorov, listed by Forbes as the third richest man in Russia, is considering moving part of his Intergeo Management mining giant to Cyprus.
The Cyprus-based Onexim Group, established in 2008, will take control of six of Prokhorov’s nickel mining ventures, paving the way for listing part of the company’s shares on the Toronto stock exchange, probably by November.