Prospects for strengthening cooperation between Cyprus and the UAE on issues concerning public administration efficiency, coordination of government work, digital transformation and simplification of procedures were at the focus of a meeting held Wednesday in Nicosia between Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki and Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Dr. Nikodimos Damianou with UAE Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Government Knowledge Exchange, Mohamed Rashid bin Taliah.
A press release by the Presidency of Cyprus says that the two sides reaffirmed the excellent level of bilateral relations between Cyprus and the UAE and presented the mutual initiatives of the two countries to strengthen the Governance Center, the effective implementation of government work and digitalization.
During the meeting, Piki referred to the recent institutionalization of the Secretariat for Coordination and Support of the Government Work at the Presidency of the Republic, as well as the development of new digital tools for monitoring the implementation of government priorities.
Minister Damianou referred to the reforms being promoted for the digital transformation of the state, with emphasis on the modernization of basic information systems, the enhancement of interoperability between public services and the redesign of citizen-centered procedures.
On his part, Bin Taliah presented the UAE Government Experience Exchange program, in which 56 countries participate. He referred, among other things, to the UAE’s experience in matters of coordination and evaluation of government work, acceleration of the implementation of government priorities, as well as simplification of administrative procedures and improvement of public services.
During the meeting, they discussed about the prospects for developing cooperation between the two countries taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the UAE’s Government Experience Exchange program. It was agreed, the press release says, to hold further contacts between the competent services of the two countries in the coming period, with the aim of exploring specific possibilities for cooperation and determining the next steps.
“The meeting highlighted the possibilities for further deepening cooperation between Cyprus and the UAE, through the exchange of know-how and good practices that contribute to the modernization of public administration and the improvement of services to citizens,” the it concludes.