Press Releases

It is with great pleasure that I welcome to Cyprus HE Ms Deemah Al-Yahya, Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) on this very special occasion, marking Cyprus’ accession to the DCO. We are truly excited to becoming part of this great effort to deliver a world economy that harnesses digital technology and innovation to deliver sustainability, prosperity and inclusion for all. This is a vision of a world that pools its strengths, capacities and diversity to tackle the biggest challenges ahead – a world that works together effectively to produce long-lasting impact that will benefit our people, our businesses and our planet.

The web of global economic connections is growing deeper, broader, and more intricate. Digital is placed at the heart of global developments, becoming more and more embedded in daily life, in a world that is more interconnected than ever. We are all at an important industrial, economic and societal turning point, facing common challenges and sharing common objectives, values and interests. It is therefore necessary that we invest in our shared future, through a strong, elevated, reliable and extended partnership at multilateral, regional and global level. International fora like the DCO provide us with a unique platform, tools and means to achieve our development goals. It is all about crafting a better future together.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the founding member nations -and particularly Saudi Arabia for also hosting the Organization- for this new, yet so promising initiative to drive greater collaboration and cooperation in the digital sphere and assure you that the Republic of Cyprus is committed to proactively and effectively participating and driving collective efforts in this transformational journey. Our goal is to achieve a further and sustained uptake in digital adoption across government, enterprise and society, empower our people, foster an ecosystem that opens up new opportunities, builds resilience and enhances society’s wellbeing.

Cyprus, as a country, has a lot to offer in this multilateral equation. We have achieved tremendous progress in developing our digital economy, investing in gigabit connectivity and emerging technologies, forming a new cybersecurity framework, promoting innovative entrepreneurship and facilitating the digital transformation of businesses, advancing the digital fitness of our workforce and citizens and implementing an aggressive e-government agenda. Our national ambitions and strategic objectives fully align with the DCO’s mission, and we strongly believe that collaboration within the Organization will be crucial in all members achieving their own economic development goals.

Capitalizing on its geostrategic location, Cyprus has traditionally maintained strong and close ties with the countries of the region, both at bilateral and multilateral level. We truly believe that our accession to the DCO will inject new momentum in further growing our existing friendly and mutually rewarding relationships. As the first EU member state to join the DCO, and a natural crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, while paving the way for others to join.

It gives us great pride to be part of this exciting journey, and share our knowledge and experiences with the global community. We are confident that the Digital Cooperation Organization will continue to grow and scale its activities, magnifying the impact of international cooperation in accelerating the growth of the digital economy and building a world that is unified, stable and prosperous.

Thank you.

(NG/IK)