The European Space Agency and the Republic of Cyprus have signed a European Cooperating State Agreement.

According to a PIO press release, the agreement was signed on behalf of Cyprus, on the sidelines of the ESA Intermediate Ministerial Meeting, IMM2021, that took place on November 18 and 19 in Porto, by the Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, who reaffirmed the political will and commitment for the development of the space technology sector in Cyprus. 

Kokkinos said that “with this new agreement (which will last for 3-5 years) we are connecting Cyprus with the programmes and the activities of the Organization and we are preparing it in the most effective way for the next step, which is Cyprus` accession to the ESA as an Associate Member.”

Moreover, the Deputy Minister said that this development will decisively contribute to Cyprus` active participation in the space revolution, which in combination with the broader activities in the field of the Information and Communication Technology, can be the driving force for sustainable development, the creation of new jobs and the extension of the cooperation at the European and regional level.

The press release noted that the agreement will allow Cyprus to give more emphasis on the development of its industrial capacity and to promote research and innovation in the space sector, as well as to invest in creating a group of scientists that is required to enhance the competitiveness of academic institutions and businesses whose activities are related to this sector. 

Kokkinos, who represented Cyprus in the ESA Intermediate Ministerial Meeting expressed, in an intervention he made during the meeting, his support to an ESA Resolution on accelerating the use of space in Europe and underlined that he fully endorses the ESA “Agenda 2025” as a road map for maintaining and extending Europe`s activities in this field, with a view to use space technologies for promoting social and economic development and prosperity.

Moreover he told his counterparts the Cyprus is working to set up a National Space Strategy and to prepare the legislation for the authorization of space activities and the registration of space assets in the national register.