Cyprus and Bahrain seek deeper business and maritime cooperation

Manama, Bahrain. Cyprus and Bahrain are seeking to deepen business and maritime cooperation, with Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) president Stavros Stavrou saying Cyprus could serve as a gateway for Gulf companies expanding into Europe.

Stavrou said a recent visit to Manama aimed to convert renewed political momentum into practical cooperation between businesses in the two countries.

Follow-up talks

Speaking to News of Bahrain’s Ashen Tharaka, Stavrou said the visit followed high-level contacts in January, when he accompanied the Cypriot president with a delegation from Keve.

He said he had held an open and productive discussion with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry on taking relations between businesses and entrepreneurs in Bahrain and Cyprus to the next level.

Working team planned

Stavrou said Bahrain and Cyprus had maintained a long-standing relationship for decades, with many business people having worked in Bahrain. He said interaction had slowed for various reasons but that there was renewed momentum to restore ties to their previous level.

The two chambers agreed to establish a working team to identify and prioritise sectors for cooperation before bringing businesses from both countries together.

Stavrou said chambers play a role in helping people meet and understand prospects, while businesses determine where synergies exist and how they can build on them. He added that several business leads generated during the January delegation were already being pursued.