Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni was in Cyprus recently for a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides where they discussed the Cyprus issue, energy, Brexit, terrorism, migration and Turkey.

The Cyprus Statistical Service issued a report outlining the developments in external trade for June 2016.

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades stressed recently that the Government is making efforts to strengthen the country’s competitiveness and its attractiveness as an international business and investment destination and noted that improving the business environment is a top priority.

The number of company registrations in Cyprus rose in August 2016 by 43% to 1,012 compared to the respective month of 2015, which is highest figure reported in the month of August since 2012, the company registrar department said.

Cyprus expects to see an additional 500,000 tourist arrivals in 2016, according to forecasts, Tourism Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said recently.

Cyprus’ economy expanded 2.9% year-on-year in Q2 and a seasonally adjusted 2.7%, the statistical service said citing revised figures which confirmed an August 12, 2016 flash estimate.

Loan interest rates for Coop customers will not increase after the application of a unitary interest rate policy, said the head of the strategy and communications office of the Cooperative Central Bank (CCB), Yiannos Stavrinides.

Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC), has named Lloyd’s Register as independent commercial advisor for its commercial exploitation of hydrocarbons in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

A joint venture led by Cyprus-based contractor Joannou & Paraskevaides (J&P) has been awarded the contract to build the new Qatar Foundation (QF) Stadium for the 2022 World Cup.

The government aims to repeat record tourist arrivals in the coming years, tourism minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said recently.