€5.4 million grant from Switzerland for integration projects

The Minister of Finance, Constantinos Petrides and the Swiss Ambassador to Cyprus, Christoph Burgener signed on Monday the Framework Agreement by which Cyprus will receive a grant of €5.4 million for the implementation of projects in the area of Cohesion.

The three projects selected for funding serve needs in the field of health and social protection as well as civic engagement and transparency, the Minister said, during a press conference, following the signing of the Agreement, at the Finance Ministry in Nicosia.

Specifically, €2.2 million will be allocated for the construction/expansion of the facilities of the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO), to serve victims of domestic violence. With the aim of holistic support for patients with rare diseases and their families, an amount of €2.1 million will be allocated to the Karaiskakeio Foundation for the creation of a specialized center for this purpose. Furthermore, an amount of €1 million will be given to support the work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

It is noted that on October 31st, under the Second Swiss Contribution, an Agreement was signed between the two countries, on the basis of which Cyprus will receive €10.4 million to support measures in the area of ​​Migration.

The total grant of €15.8 million, will be allocated to the Republic of Cyprus through the two Framework Agreements on Cohesion and Migration, based on a Memorandum of Understanding between Switzerland and the EU, which was signed on 30 June 2022.

The Minister thanked the government and the Embassy of Switzerland. He noted that the projects to be funded were selected in cooperation with the Swiss government and they are in the context of policies promoted by the Cyprus government for social cohesion, which the Swiss government also embraces.

The Swiss Ambassador, in his statement, said that Switzerland is in the heart of Europe. "Even if we are not a formal member of the EU, we strive further to strengthen our relations with the EU. And with this Cohesion Fund in certain countries in Europe, we try to demonstrate that we are interested in security in Europe, in prosperity and the Cohesion for the European countries."

He added that Switzerland, with its €1.3 billion fund, tries to foster relations, not only with the EU but also bilaterally.

"I am particularly pleased with these three projects because they are not the end of the story", he said, adding that he really looks forward to cooperating with the different organizations.

"I am sure that this is a very solid beginning for bilateral relations between Switzerland and Cyprus. We are two small countries, we have a lot in common, I look forward to strengthening our relations", he concluded.