NICOSIA – Entrepreneurship and Research and Innovation will be the focus of an informal meeting of EU Ministers of Competitiveness and Research to take place in Nicosia on Thursday and Friday.

According to a press release published at the official Cyprus EU Presidency site on Thursday, Ministers will discuss the role of entrepreneurship as an engine for economic growth, with particular reference to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The meeting will be presided by Cyprus Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Neoklis Sylikiotis and attended by European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani.

During the meeting four professionals will give impulse statements on entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment, activating untapped pools of entrepreneurial talent, innovation as a driving force for entrepreneurship and the timely restructuring of enterprises and second chances.

On Friday, the meeting will focus on issues of Research and Innovation.

The meeting, which will be presided over by Cyprus Minister of Health Stavros Malas will be attended by the research ministers of the EU and European Free Trade Area countries, as well as the Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Sciences Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.

Views will be exchanged on the promotion of the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation in research and innovation, in an effort to reiterate the willingness to work consistently towards a renewed partnership, based on the principles of co-ownership, mutual interest and shared benefit.

The Cyprus Presidency has prepared and circulated a discussion paper, and invited as keynote speakers former President of the French Academy of Sciences Edouard Brezin, Director of the Library of Alexandria Ismael Serageldin and Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean Ilan Chet.