Cyprus Mail 8 August 2020 - Cyprus News Agency
Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said on Friday he expected a joint meeting to be arranged with competent European Commissioners, in order to reach a conclusion regarding the registration of halloumi.
President Nicos Anastasiades also raised the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kadis said after a meeting with socialist Edek leader Marinos Sizopoulos.
Efforts to register halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product continue, the minister said, and expressed hope that “on the basis of principles, we will soon conclude a deal with the European Commission, which will only benefit Cyprus and its citizens.”
Kadis said also that they discussed with Sizopoulos the rationale behind the party’s stance vis-à-vis the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) during a recent discussion at the Cyprus House, with Kadis saying that “it was explained that this stance could strengthen the effort of Cyprus to register haloumi as a PDO product.”
The minister said that on his part he presented government efforts in relation to this issue and explained that registering halloumi as PDO is “very high priority” for the government.
“I had meetings to promote the issue with the competent European Commissioners and we await now a joint meeting with the commissioners in Brussels, in order to examine all dimensions of the issue and reach finally a conclusion to register this very important product for our country,” he added.
He also said that the issue was raised by Anastasiades himself, with the European Commission President “because it is a matter of utmost importance for our country.”