Press Releases

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth for the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth of the Republic of Cyprus and the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation of the Republic of Cuba on Cooperation in the field of Sports”.

Today’s event proves in practice the will of the competent authorities of the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Cuba to promote and strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in the field of sports.

Cyprus has traditionally had friendly relations with Cuba and our intention is to strengthen these relations in the rapidly growing field of sports and physical education.

Cyprus’s government gives much weight to the promotion of sports and the sporting spirit in general. Among our goals is the further development of competitive sports, which we consider to be the best ambassador of our country abroad.

In this direction, we have prioritised the substantial support of our country’s athletes, both at the team and individual level. In this context, our effort is to contribute to the Internationalization of the Cypriot sports. Cooperation with other countries in the field of sports strengthen the prestige of Cypriot sports, communicate its practices internationally and introduce innovative methods applied by other sport systems. Sport brings the peoples of the whole world closer, fosters a spirit of peace and cooperation between different nations and can be an effective foreign policy and diplomatic tool.

With the Memorandum we are signing today, we seek to upgrade our cooperation with Cuba in matters of mutual sporting interest, as well as to promote sporting relations between the two countries at the highest possible level.

More specifically, this Memorandum of Understanding aims to strengthen the cooperation between the competent sports authorities of the two countries, through activities such as:

(a) organisation of sports events;

(b) participation of national sports teams and athletes in major tournaments of the two countries;

(c) exchange of visits by athletes, sports delegations, experts, competent officials and specialists in the field of sports and physical education;

(d) exchange of invitations to athletes and sports delegations to participate in bilateral or international sports events to be organized in the two countries;

(e) cooperation in matters of sports management, sports facilities and equipment;

(f) exchange of information on sport and matters related to physical education and other areas of mutual interest, such as anti-doping control and sports-related information technology.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Cyprus Sports Organisation, which, as the competent authority responsible for the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding, took the initiative for completing the text of the Memorandum, in consultation with the Embassy of Cuba in Cyprus. Warm thanks also to the Ambassador of Cuba in Cyprus, Mr. Suarez Cordero, for his immediate response to this matter and his efforts to further strengthen our bilateral relations.

I am confident that this Memorandum of Understanding will broaden and deepen our cooperation and will create many opportunities in the field of sports for both countries.

IP