The official handover ceremony of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry took place today, Wednesday, March 1, with the new Minister of Energy Mr. George Papanastasiou receiving the portfolio from the outgoing Minister Ms. Natasha Pilidou.
Speaking during the ceremony, the former Minister expressed her excitement as she said the 2.5 years she served at the Ministry "was indeed a very beautiful journey, despite the difficulties we had to face in the pandemic crisis and with the energy crisis after Russia's invasion of Ukraine".
He stressed that what has been achieved in these last 2.5 years is due to the contribution and cooperation of all the staff of the Ministry, whom he thanked from the bottom of his heart. He expressed special thanks to the Director General of the Ministry and the Directors of the Departments and Services, "who have really worked tirelessly to achieve our goals. I am sure you will continue to work with the same zeal in the coming years so that we can achieve both the green transition, but also ensure energy adequacy and solve the problems (of the sector), while keeping prices at the lowest possible point."
Ms. Pilidou also welcomed the great strides made in relation to industry and trade, where, among other things, the Ministry's Sponsorship Schemes have contributed to the daily lives of citizens and businesses. She referred in particular to the great prospects for Cypriot industry, which are demonstrated by the positive results recorded both in exports and the increased number of employees in the sector.
Concluding her address, the outgoing Minister thanked the President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, for the confidence he has shown in her over the past five years, initially by appointing her as the first Deputy Minister of Shipping and then as Minister of Energy.
The outgoing Minister thanked the President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, for the confidence he has shown in her over the past five years, initially by appointing her as the first Deputy Minister of Shipping and then as Minister of Energy. Finally, he wished every success to Mr. Papanastasiou, who, he noted, has the CV, knowledge and experience to meet the challenges of the demanding portfolio he is taking on.
For his part, the new Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry, addressing Ms. Pilidou, assured her that he will work with the excellent staff of the Ministry, on the basis of the very specific Governance Programme, to strengthen what has already been achieved, but also to achieve what has not yet been completed.
In this context, Mr. Papanastasiou praised the very good results recorded in the trade and industry sectors due to the Sponsorship Plans and the actions implemented by the staff and the outgoing Minister. At the same time, he stressed that his goal is to use his expertise and experience in energy to find solutions for the major issues in the energy sector as well.
As he explained, the Governance Programme aims at the transition to green energy, while the priority is also to reduce electricity costs in order to help industry and the economy. "But until we go to green energy, we will have to go through a transition period in which we will make use of natural gas." This gas, he added, would likely come from our region and would be used to generate lower cost electricity.
Finally, the new Energy Minister pledged that the targets set by the Ministry would be realistic and measurable. He stressed that the work done at the Ministry will be judged daily by our fellow citizens and his goal is "to exceed their expectations."
(GA)
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