George Lakkotrypis is undoubtedly one of the members of the Government that has contributed, at least since 2013, to the reconstruction of the Cypriot economy.
He has associated his name with the Government's energy plans and with the start of drilling in the deposits of the Cyprus EEZ, while he is the man who realized the vision of restarting the economy through the admittedly targeted plans that focused on creating infrastructure for tourism. , in attracting investment and the attractive image of Cyprus abroad as a strong investment destination in the Middle East.
He took over the portfolio of the Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism from March 2013 and on the occasion of the end of the term of the Council of Ministers with the upcoming presidential elections on January 28, he spoke to Famagusta.News about the next plans of the Ministry, in case of his stay in the post of Minister, while he did not fail to mention his strategic goals for Tourism, Business and energy.
Interview with Marinos Pavlikkas
"As announced publicly, at least four drillings are planned in 2018."
President Anastasiadis, at the end of his term, seems to have dropped - and not unjustifiably - a great deal on the issue of energy. In case of re-election of Nikos Anastasiadis and your stay in the portfolio of the Ministry of Energy, how are you expected to proceed with the issue of drilling?
Whoever is in the position of Minister of Energy, the re-election of President Anastasiadis will ensure that the implementation of the comprehensive and long-term strategy we have developed for the hydrocarbon sector will continue smoothly. This stability in the policy implemented by our State, but also the clear institutional framework in the field, which we have been working for the last five years to create, are, we believe, basic conditions for attracting the necessary investments.
Our strategy, I must emphasize, includes both the geopolitical dimension and the research program, the ways of exploiting our hydrocarbon resources and the management of important issues, such as transnational agreements on demarcation, joint exploitation and submarine pipelines. Especially for the geopolitical dimension, let me note that our ongoing initiatives in energy diplomacy are aimed at shielding the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as at aligning its interests with a number of countries and international organizations.
Today we are in the middle of a second round of exploratory drilling in our EEZ, precisely because of our immediate reaction to the discovery of the Egyptian "Zor" deposit, first re-evaluating our geological model for exploration, now, for natural gas in carbon structures and then proclaiming him very successful 3ο Licensing Round. As it was publicly announced, at least four drillings have been planned in 2018. Drilling is already underway at the "Kalypso" target, in Block 6, by Eni and Total, followed immediately by the drilling at the "Cuttlefish" target, Block 3 , by Eni and Kogas. The 2ο In the first half of 2018, the joint venture of ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum will carry out two drillings, in the targets "Delfinos" and "Antheia", of Unit 10.
At the same time, while we are waiting for the completion of the drillings to have a clear picture of our EEZ, we have developed various scenarios for the exploitation of the native hydrocarbon reserves, starting with a minimum amount of 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas of the "Aphrodite" field. It is for this reason that we keep our options open, while advancing our plans for the EastMed pipeline to Greece and Italy, for the pipeline to Egypt and for the onshore and floating liquefaction terminal.
"In no case do we intend to get involved in the game of questioning our sovereign rights in which Turkey is trying to lure us."
Nevertheless, Ankara does not seem ready to stop the Turkish provocations. How will our country ensure security in the region but also in the drilling rigs themselves and how, in your opinion, can diplomatic relations de-escalate a possible tension in the Cypriot EEZ?
The best answer to the Turkish challenges is to continue to calmly implement our energy plans. The Republic of Cyprus is an independent state, internationally recognized, and in no case do we intend to get involved in the game of questioning our sovereign rights in which Turkey is trying to lure us.
On the contrary, with very specific moves on the diplomatic chessboard, we are shielding Cyprus, its EEZ and its energy perspective. That is why we are undertaking ongoing initiatives for Tripartite Cooperation with Greece, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, working to align our interests with countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as with the countries of the which come from the companies operating in our EEZ.
"We are promoting major reforms in Cypriot tourism with a legislative framework that includes 16 laws and regulations for the licensing and operation of leisure centers, hotels and tourist accommodation, tourism offices and guides."
Undoubtedly, the increase in the tourist flow is a reality, whether it is due to a successful strategy or to the geopolitical conditions of the Middle East. Nevertheless, there is a lot of talk about the fact that the CTO still does not pursue a sustainable policy on the issue of tourism and does not make the most of the potential of our country. How do you answer?
The development of the tourism sector in the last five years can not be considered primarily cyclical, but it is largely due to the various initiatives undertaken by the current Government, in cooperation with the CTO. From the first day of the assumption of the Presidency of the Republic by Nikos Anastasiadis, we recognized that this sector can be the cornerstone for the restart, stabilization and development of the Cypriot economy. In this context, we have designed policies for its immediate upgrade, but also long-term measures for its sustainable and sustainable development.
The measures taken and had immediate implementation and effect, include, for example, the opening of the ethers, the improvement of connectivity, the upgrading of Cyprus' relations with foreign travel agents, the enrichment of the product, the simplification of the procedures for entry of citizens in Cyprus from countries that are net exporters of tourists, the provision of incentives for upgrading tourist accommodation, etc.
Regarding the long-term measures, the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism, we decided to design a new integrated National Tourism Strategy, with a time horizon of 2030. Through the strategy, the formulation of which will be completed soon, we have set as individual goals the extension of the tourist season, the finding of new markets, the upgrading of the quality of tourist services, the improvement of infrastructure and the targeted and competitive development of existing and modern forms of tourism.
At the same time, the governance system of the tourism sector is envisaged on the basis of international good practices, e.g. by establishing a single supervisory authority. It is, therefore, in this logic that our Government has already submitted to the House of Representatives a bill for the creation of a Ministry of Tourism.
I conclude my report on the major reforms we are promoting in Cypriot tourism with the new legislative-regulatory framework for the sector, which we have already prepared and concerns a total of 16 laws and regulations for the licensing and operation of leisure centers, hotels and tourist accommodation, offices. tourism and tour guides. The framework is gradually being promoted in the Parliament, as the necessary legislative elaboration by the Legal Service is completed, and the ultimate goal is to simplify the bureaucratic procedures that govern the issues of tourism, so that our tourism industry can attract more investments.
"The government has approved the granting of urban incentives aimed at attracting and encouraging investment in the construction industry."
At least in free Famagusta, the enrichment with additional tourist traffic is evident thanks to the incentives of the hoteliers given by the Government for renovations and extensions, but also with the creation of new hotel units, e.g. in Agia Thekla. Is there any thought of giving extra incentives in the future?
I must emphasize here that the Government has never stopped working on measures to upgrade Cypriot tourism and, in general, our infrastructure.
Indicatively, I note that the Sponsorship Plan implemented by the CTO is open today, for modernization and enrichment of the tourist product, which aims to upgrade the tourist accommodation that operate in our country.
In addition, the Government has approved the granting of urban incentives aimed at attracting and encouraging investment in the construction industry. These incentives, I note, help the most in the development of our tourism industry, through the expansion and upgrading of tourism units.
Finally, the new National Tourism Strategy, which we have talked about before, provides for various measures that will upgrade the existing infrastructure, as well as a new Tourism Development Plan.
"By creating a single navigation zone around the island, we will be able to attract quality tourists all year round, who will have the opportunity on a trip to Cyprus to visit many areas."
The marina of Ayia Napa takes on flesh and blood, while on Monday, January 15, the signatures for the marina of Paralimni fell. Eventually, the many marinas will bring growth?
The development of Maritime Tourism, through the creation of marinas and mooring areas along the entire coastline of free Cyprus, is exactly one of our great goals in terms of enriching our tourism product. In essence, by creating a single navigation zone around the island, we will be able to attract quality tourists all year round, who will have the opportunity on a trip to Cyprus to visit many areas. At the same time, the infrastructure that is created contributes significantly to the desired sustainable development of our economy, among other things by offering new jobs.
"As a government we will continue, at the same time, to promote major infrastructure projects, including the resort casino, golf courses and marinas."
What plans could you reveal in case of your stay at the Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism?
You understand from the name of our Ministry, that under its responsibility it has many productive sectors of the Cypriot economy. Therefore, there is a lot that could, and should, in my opinion, be done. I will mention some of the most important ones.
Starting with the energy sector, I would like to note that in addition to the smooth implementation of our integrated strategy for hydrocarbons, we are also adopting the necessary legislation to fully operate the competitive electricity market in 2019. Renewable Energy Sources will compete Now, on equal terms, the conventional production and, as a transitional stage, has been allowed, for the first time in our country, the conclusion of bilateral contracts with suppliers other than the EAC.
Relevant, of course, is the effort we make for the import of natural gas in Cyprus for electricity generation, with the Public Natural Gas Company preparing tender documents. In fact, in January 2018 we have secured funding from the European Commission, amounting to € 101 million, for the gas supply infrastructure.
At the same time, together with the Ministry of Transport, we have made the promotion of e-mobility one of our immediate priorities. To this end, we are already working on preparing a strategy framework for electric vehicles, in the form of incentives and the creation of the necessary infrastructure.
For our tourism, the goal must be to complete as soon as possible the National Tourism Strategy and the new legislative-regulatory framework, for which, however, the new Ministry of Tourism will ideally be responsible. As a Government we will continue, at the same time, to promote major infrastructure projects, including the resort casino, golf courses and marinas.
Of course, the main priority of the Ministry for the next five years should be the issues of entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is imperative to continue the very good work being done to modernize the Company Registrar and Official Recipient Department, through the restructuring of the legal framework, the optimization of procedures and the use of technology.
At the same time, with the aim of developing innovative products and services, the implementation of the new National Industrial Strategy of Cyprus 2018-2017 will begin in 2030, which we have already prepared and will be announced soon, while we will further strengthen the support of our companies with Plans. Sponsorships that will now run electronically, aiming to expedite the procedures. Particularly in relation to Business Innovation, recognizing the competitive advantages of state-of-the-art technologies, as well as the skills of the research community of Cyprus, our goal is to start the study preparation processes as soon as possible to support the most important technologies for the medium to long term. These include artificial intelligence, advanced energy storage technologies, robotics, virtual reality and XNUMXD printing.
"We must not forget the situation we received in March 2013, with a financial system collapsing and without prospects and a people deeply disappointed."
How do you judge the five years of Anastasiadis' rule?
Given the circumstances under which we took over the government of the country, I consider that the overall work that has been done is excellent. We certainly still have many big challenges ahead of us, but we must not forget the situation we received in March 2013, with a financial system collapsing and without prospects and a people deeply disappointed.
President Anastasiadis and his Government, from the very first day, had to manage the multiple pathogens that existed, in almost all areas. All Cypriots, of course, contributed in this direction. It could not be done otherwise. But the sacrifices of our people, together with the prudent economic policy of the Government and its determination to proceed with the major cuts and radical reforms required, have allowed us today, five years later, to be in the middle of a path to a new model. States. For a stable and prosperous Cyprus, which will claim its reunification in conditions of absolute security and sustainable social and economic development.
Famagusta.News