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The president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, has sent "a direct message to the Russians," says Cypriot daily O Phileleftheros. Speaking to a gathering of Russian business executives in Limassol, Anastasiades offered Cypriot nationality to those who lost more than €3m due to the recent bailout and reform of the banking system. Until now, the paper says, this option
was limited to those who had invested at least €15m in Cyprus, but this time President Anastasiades wants to make a strong statement [...] in particular towards the Russians. The plan will be submitted to the cabinet, but already a number of MPs hope that this measure will reassure the country's Russian investors. [...] The president called on other Russian firms in the oil and gas sector to show interest in getting involved and taking advantage of the enormous energy potential available in Cyprus.
The island's bailout package, which includes a tax and a freeze on deposits over €100,000 "will make Cyprus less attractive to investors and will cause the economy to shrink drastically," comments German weekly Der Spiegel. The magazine explains that
EU citizenship could be interesting for many Russians who are subjected to visa restrictions. Anastasiades wants to take advantage of this.
