On Monday August 5, 2019, The Cyprus Institute (CyI) and the Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel (MERCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

With the signing of the MoU, CyI and MERCI will cooperate in common fields of activity to promote and develop marine research in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an emphasis on monitoring and research of the impacts of climate change on the marine environment, on deep sea archaeology, and on monitoring and research examination of the impacts of hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Signing the MoU on behalf of MERCI, was Prof. Zvi Ben-Avraham, Head of MERCI, and on behalf of The Cyprus Institute, CyI President Prof. Costas Papanicolas.

Present at the meeting were also the Ambassador of Israel in Cyprus, H.E. Mr Shmuel (Sammy) Revel, the Chief Scientist of the Republic and Member of the Board of Trustees of The Cyprus Institute, Mr. Kyriakos Kokkinos, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Cyprus Institute, Dr. Andreas Pittas, and Dr. Petros Kareklas, President of the Friends of the Cyprus Institute Association.

Speaking at the ceremony Prof. Zvi Ben-Avraham noted that Cyprus is a strategic partner for Israel, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean. “The Eastern Mediterranean is a most important area for marine research, yet the institution carrying out the most prominent research for the area is actually located in Newfoundland, Canada. This MoU will set the foundations so that our two countries develop the leadership roles they deserve”.

In his address, the Ambassador of Israel noted, “nothing makes me more happy than to see a relationship between an Israeli and a Cypriot Institution maturing like the one we are witnessing today. Cyprus and Israel have 60 years of relations, and even though the Mediterranean connects our two countries, our scientific and research communities have intensified their collaborations only in the past few years”.

Dr Andreas Pittas noted the importance of this collaboration, and the fact that Prof. Zvi Ben-Avraham, a world-class scientist and a charismatic speaker will also be joining CyI as adjunct faculty. Mr Kyriakos Kokkinos noted that he is happy both as Chief Scientist of the Republic and also as a Member of the CyI Board of Trustees to see collaborations such as this take place which also also promote innovation, an area in which Israel is a world leader.