Speakers focused on the need for economic stakeholders to find areas of common ground in order to raise living standards

Turkish Cypriot political, labor and business leaders came together with journalists, academics and international experts-including leading U.S. economist Howard Rosen-at a forum devoted to promoting competitiveness in the Turkish Cypriot economy on January 29, 2010. Weaving together the results of months of work, the "Competitiveness Forum" elevated the level of discourse with regard to competitiveness, productivity and sustainability. In their keynote addresses, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat and Mr. Rosen focused on the need for economic stakeholders to find areas of common ground in order to pursue an economic policy agenda that will raise living standards while preparing the Turkish Cypriot economy for global challenges and reunification.

With support from the USAID-funded Economic Development and Growth for Enterprises (EDGE) project, the Forum's main organizer, the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, produced the second annual "Competitiveness Report" on the Turkish Cypriot economy. Using the World Economic Forum methodology, the report-authored by economist Mustafa Besim-analyzes economic conditions in the Turkish Cypriot community and compares them with 134 economies around the world. The report and the Forum, where its results were presented, have served to advance dialogue on critical economic issues, focusing on the obstacles hindering sustainable economic growth and ways in which to overcome them.

Through EDGE, USAID has been promoting competitiveness through direct assistance to firms and sectors; through the application of cutting edge research and methods; and by supporting nascent efforts to promote constructive public-private dialogue on economic reform issues, such as the January 29 "Competitiveness Forum". Like all U.S. Government programs in Cyprus, EDGE is aimed at facilitating reunification of the island through encouraging responsible and market-driven economic growth.