Cyprus and Britain have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of scientific research and development. The memorandum was signed this week by Education Minister Andreas Demetriou and British High Commissioner Peter Millett. It provides for the establishment of a joint committee aimed at identifying fields of co-operation, cultivating a favourable climate to facilitate communication between academic institutions, promoting exchanges of researchers and encouraging joint research projects. The Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation and the British High Commission will coordinate the implementation of the Memorandum. Andreas Demetriou said "This is a big step which institutionalises the very close relationships between Cyprus and Britain, providing a framework enabling these relations to develop further so that research in Cyprus moves into new fields and through joint projects, we can attract more EU funding.

Peter Millett said the signing was made possible by the pact signed in June between President Christofias and PM Gordon Brown, the close ties Cyprus and Britain enjoy in the field of education and the fact that the two countries are EU partners. He also said "What we did today constitutes a mere declaration of our intentions. We must make this deal work to yield the clear benefits in the operation of universities and research foundation for the sake of all of us."