We must not repeat the mistakes of the past and we have to remain disciplined in our effort to continue on a steady growth path, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has said.

Addressing on Friday evening the 37th Lefkara Festival, in Larnaca District, the President of the Republic referred to the economic crisis and the problems it brought about, noting at the same time that what matters now is to look ahead.

“We concluded the memorandum (economic adjustment programme) and created the conditions for growth,” President Anastasiades underlined, according to the Presidency of the Republic. He added that the state contributes and will continue to contribute to the implementation of projects, within the framework of its financial potentials.

He also referred to the dire financial situation many local administrations face and said that the central government was able to provide some relief by cancelling some of the debt owned by Municipalities. President Anastasiades expressed hope that this will help the local authorities to move ahead with the projects that are necessary in their communities.

The President also pledged to increase the state subsidy for local authorities, if the local government reform moves ahead – with the assistance of the parliament – and Municipalities are able to keep their finances under control.

Finally, the President referred to the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020, saying that it has been a leading tool for agricultural policy making. We have enhanced our policy by investing in the framework of this Programme some 243.3 mln euros for projects that promote new development models and actions, the President concluded.