Belfast City Council as part of their Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme funded by the Department of Enterprise, trade & Investment (DETI) are supporting local businesses to deevelop Export Links with Cyprus.

The initiative organised by Lestas Consulting, a Coleraine strategic management consultancy company that is representing Cyprus in Northern Ireland, is lookong to assist the companies to develop a series of links related to their export needs. Cyprus is one of the new countries who entered the European Union in May 2004. it has a strong vibrant economy and substantial trading links with the Middle east. the indigenous population of just under 1 million people doubles in the summer through tourism. Most products are imported onto the Island and opportunities exist for all manners of tourist related products and services, catering, information technology, construction materials, pharmaceuticals and medical products to name but a few.

The Belfast/Cyprus trade initiative will include:

• Developing each businesses requirements related to export.
• setting up a series of meetings with relevant interested Cypriot companies based on our extensive data base of contacts and knowledge of the Cypriot Market.
• Preparing the companies for a visit to Cyprus to take place in Feb/Mar 2006.
• Accompanying the companies in Cyprus to ensure they maximise their opportunities.
• Setting up a series of collective initiatives in Cyprus to inform the participants on issues related to doing business on the Island.

If you have an interest in finding out more about this initiative contact Nicholas Leastas at Lestas Consulting, 8 Union Street, Coleraine, BT52 1QA. Telephone 028 7032 2900, e-mail nick@lestasconsulting.com.