Cyprus has the eleventh highest gender pay gap among 27 member states, with women paid 16.4% less than men for doing the same job, while it is gradually closing the gap with a 3.1% drop between 2008 and 2011.

A business forum in Prague jointly organised by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry, and Tourism are promoting Cyprus as a services centre.

Cyprus and Russia recently signed an economic cooperation protocol in Moscow at the end of the meeting of the Seventh Cyprus-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic Cooperation.

Purchase prices and rents for residential and commercial properties across the island continue to drop, according to the latest index from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Cyprus and Egypt are set to sign a series of bilateral agreements to enhance their cooperation during an upcoming visit Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will pay to Cairo.

A significant drop in imports in the first nine months of 2013 has resulted in a reduction of the trade deficit by €917.5 million compared to the same period of 2012, recently published data by the Cyprus Statistical Service shows.

The Cyprus economy contracted at a slower pace than originally estimated between July - September of 2013, recent figures show.

Texas based Noble Energy, operators of the Block 12 offshore license, have conceded that additional discoveries of natural gas are probably needed to justify a mooted LNG plant in Cyprus.

The Eurogroup has approved theroadmap for the privatisation of semi government organisations (SGOs), a requirement to release the next tranche of the island’s assistance programme.

US energy firm Noble Energy which has a concession in Cyprus' block 12 is planning to proceed with further exploration drilling towards the end of 2014.