PAPHOS is looking to further strengthen ties with China and the municipality welcomed a group of businessmen and officials from Liyang in the Jiangsu Province of China on Wednesday.
According to a spokesman for the municipality, the group were invited to the town by the Paphos Chamber of Commerce- EVE.
“The group of Chinese businessmen are visiting Paphos at the invitation of the local commerce and industry chamber, which has recently developed a close and productive working relationship with the authorities and bodies of Liyang,” the spokesman said.
He added: “Within this framework they were invited to the municipality and to meet the mayor. They had expressed an interest in Paphos and were invited to come and find out more.”
The group attended a meeting with mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos, and discussed the possibility of co-operation between Liyang and Paphos, he said.
“The group are mainly from the developing and construction industry and it was their first visit to Paphos,” he said.
The mayor gave assurances that the municipality of Paphos supported and encouraged all actions that contribute to the development of cooperation between the business world of Paphos and China, he said.
Speaking at the meeting, Phedonos, who is standing as a candidate in the upcoming mayor elections, expressed the belief that the timing for such cooperation for Chinese/Paphos projects in Paphos is highly favourable.
“Those that get underway soon will be instrumental in the development of the city and the dynamic relaunch of our local economy,” he said.
Phedonos added that Paphos is willing to help this cooperation in a ‘concrete and practical way.’
“Paphos municipality has the capacity to directly promote licences for development projects that could be executed in our city by a Chinese consortium and Paphos entrepreneurs,” he said.
The deputy mayor of Liyang, Weizhong Zhoy, who headed up the Chines delegation said both the natural and business environment of Paphos were ‘exciting’ and expressed the belief that the first visit to Paphos will mark the beginning of a close and fruitful cooperation built on mutual benefit.
Source cyprus-mail.com