The economic benefits of a Cyprus solution the focus of a seminar in Brussels

A seminar on the economic benefits of a Cyprus solution is taking place on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, according to a press release, issued by the embassies of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Following the recent resumption of the Cyprus peace negotiations, the Nordic countries have taken the initiative for a Brussels based seminar organised by PRIO: “The Cyprus Peace Dividend: A Productivity and Sectoral Approach”.

The purpose of the seminar, they say, is to facilitate an expert assessment of the economic benefits derived from a solution to the Cyprus problem.

The seminar has as its starting point updated research which aims to quantify the economic prospects of a solution by evaluating how some economic sectors may benefit from a settlement. Sectors evaluated include tourism, construction, maritime trade, oil and gas, banking, professional services and education.

The announcement adds that the seminar will bring together Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot experts and practitioners from the islands business communities, in the presence of the negotiators from the two communities.

Talks resumed, under UN auspices, in February, following an agreement on a joint declaration by the leaders of the island’s two communities, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. The objective is to reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion, under a federal roof.