Cyprus president in Qatar for business deals, Mideast affairs

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is in Doha for a three-day official visit accompanied by three cabinet ministers and a 58-strong trade delegation, with the hope of encouraging Qatari investments that were declared in the past but never materialised.
Anastasiades, accompanied by First Lady Andri, was received at the airport by Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry.
In the context of his visit the two countries are due to sign on Monday bilateral agreements in the areas of education, energy, desalination and water management as well as legal affairs.
The Cyprus delegation includes Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister of Energy Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, Agriculture Nicos Kouyialis, government spokesman Christos Stylianides, Under Secretary to the President Constandinos Petrides, head of the President’s Diplomatic Office Nicos Christodoulides and other officials.
The large delegation of Cypriot businessmen have also travelled to Doha for a business forum on Tuesday, hosted by Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE) and the Qatari Chamber of Commerce, which the President will address. News reports suggested that prospective business deals include investments in the areas of marinas and leisure projects, energy development for oil and gas, and finance.
In the context of the business forum a Cooperation Protocol between the two chambers will be signed.
Cyprus and Qatar will also sign bilateral agreements in the areas of education, energy, desalination and water management as well as legal affairs.
On Monday morning, President Anastasiades will meet with representatives of the Qatar Investment Authority. He will then be received officially by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to be followed by talks between the two countries’ delegations. After the talks are concluded, Cyprus and Qatar will sign the bilateral agreements. President Anastasiades will attend an official lunch hosted in his honour by the Emir.
He will then visit the Museum of Islamic Art where he will sign the visitors’ book. Later on he will have a meeting will representatives of Qatar’s Islamic Bank.
In the afternoon, the Cyprus president and his delegation will attend a reception hosted by the Embassy of the Republic in Doha, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cyprus – Qatar Business Association, which comprises companies that are active in major development projects, such as Cybarco.
On Tuesday, the president will also meet representatives of real estate development company Qatari Diar which had entered into final negotiations for the development of a state-owned plot of land opposite the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia, with the aim of building a luxury leisure and office complex as part of a joint venture estimated to be worth 100 mln euros. Another deal that fell through was Qatar Airways' initial offer to buy troubled Cyprus Airways' second slot at Heathrow airport for about $20 mln.
The Cypriot delegation returns to Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon.