The Successful Business Leaders’ Club delegation has visited Armenia for a two-day programme of official meetings, business-club discussions and carefully selected one-to-one introductions. The visit showed that Armenia is not simply another promising market for Cyprus, but a country where personal trust, professional relevance and long-term follow-up can turn business interest into practical cooperation.
For the third consecutive year, the Successful Business Leaders’ Club has travelled to Armenia in spring. During this time, the club members established relationships, found partners and got a clear understanding of where Cyprus and Armenia can support each other.
The timing of this year’s visit was especially meaningful. Just a week before the SBL Club delegation arrived in Yerevan, Armenia hosted the European Political Community meeting and the first EU-Armenia summit, bringing the country into the centre of the European political conversation. For business, this context matters. Armenia is looking more actively towards Europe, while Cyprus can offer something practical: small domestic market where all theories can be tested. Most important – Cyprus can become an EU business base for Armenians, an international professional-services environment and a tested route into European structures.
The Cypriot delegation brought together nine members of the Successful Business Leaders’ Club from different sectors:
Natalia Kardash, Founder of the Successful Business Leaders’ Club, Publisher of Vestnik Kipra Expert Platform and Successful Business Magazine
Marianna Hadjiandoniou, Founder and Director of PERHA Consulting
Roksoliana K. Melnyk, Founder and CEO of Emerald Group of Companies
Elia Nicolaou, Managing Director of Amicorp Cyprus and Head of Group ESG Services
Alexey Medvedev, Founder and CEO of 5Queens
Michalis Tsitsekkos, Founder and Director of Michalis Tsitsekkos & Associates LLC and Sfertos Management Limited
Natalia Georgiou, Founder and CEO of SKINLAV Cosmetics
Constantinos Papaloucas, Founder of EastMed Energy Hub and Co-Founder of Olive Roots Ltd and Pedalion Yachting
Lusine Mirzoyan, Founder of IDenteco Marketing & Communications and Club Director of SBL Club
This composition was not accidental. The delegation covered the areas where cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia can be realistic: professional services, corporate structuring, funds, ESG, HR, relocation, legal support, real estate, cosmetics production and distribution, energy, sustainable exports, communications and market-entry strategy.
The programme began with a meeting at the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia with Deputy Minister Lilya Sirakanyan. The discussion focused on the wider business environment, international cooperation, workforce development and the need for stronger links between professional communities.
After the official opening, the main part of the visit moved into a more focused format: private meetings and business-club sessions.
On the first day the delegation also met with the Mantashyants Business Club, one of Armenia’s most active entrepreneurial communities. The meeting was warm, open and practical. Last year, SBL Club and Mantashyants signed a Memorandum of Understanding, creating a foundation for future cooperation. This year’s meeting showed that the relationship become a working channel for introductions, ideas and follow-up.
The first working day was completed at the Matena Alumni Club, whose members include business owners and senior professionals from different sectors. This meeting was especially relevant because Matena Business School already has links with Cyprus through its MBA programmes and off-site learning visits. The discussion naturally touched on higher education, executive training and the potential for Cyprus-Armenia cooperation in professional development.
On the second day, the delegation took part in a conference format connected with the BEST INVEST CONGRESS and the Council for International Business Relations Support. Designed as an invitation-only working session for 50 decision-makers, the meeting focused on cross-border business, investment and access to European markets. It included practical information, introductions, discussions of new technologies and ideas. The presentations were followed by moderated discussion and networking aimed at concrete business connections.
In the afternoon there was a very practical discussion with Enterprise Armenia, the country’s official national investment promotion agency. For the SBL Club delegation, this meeting was important because of its informal discussion on all aspects of doing business in Armenia.
The final part of the programme took place at Capital Club, where members of the delegation met Armenian entrepreneurs and business leaders in a less formal, but highly productive atmosphere. Around one third of the participants from Armenian side represented the production sector. The conversation moved beyond general interest in cooperation and touched on concrete issues such as logistics, import and export operations, supply chains, product adaptation and the realistic routes through which Armenian and Cypriot companies could work together.
The strongest part of the visit was not the number of meetings, but their precision. Each delegate had individual meetings arranged according to his or her sector, expertise and business goals.
For Armenian companies, Cyprus can be useful in several different ways. Some may need corporate and fiduciary structures. Others may be looking for EU-compliant product development, legal support, fund administration, real estate expertise, HR transformation, sustainable branding, export channels or energy-sector connections.
For Cypriot businesses, Armenia offers a dynamic entrepreneurial environment, strong professional communities and access to new partners in the South Caucasus. Many Armenian business owners make decisions quickly, value direct communication and are open to international cooperation when the proposal is concrete.
This is why the club format works better than a general conference alone. Business owners do not need a random list of contacts. They need trusted entry points, relevant introductions and a clear understanding of who can actually help them.
Cyprus is a small market, and this can be seen as a limitation. But for Armenian companies, it can also be an advantage. It is often easier to test a product, service or business model in Cyprus before moving further into Europe. The island offers an international environment, English-speaking professional services, EU regulation, a strong business community and a culture where trust still plays a decisive role.
At the same time, not every direction is equally promising. Trade between Cyprus and Armenia is not always simple: logistics can be expensive, and some export categories overlap. The more realistic opportunities may be in services, consulting, technology, professional partnerships, financial structuring, legal work, HR, education, real estate, investment projects and selected premium products.
The visit confirmed one important point: cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia will not develop through declarations alone. It needs people who understand both business cultures, can identify relevant partners and are prepared to follow up after the first meeting.
This is the role SBL Club is building. Since 2024, the club has developed working relationships with several Armenian organisations, including Mantashyants Business Club, Capital Club, the Council for International Business Relations Support, Matena Alumni Club and other entrepreneurial networks. These relationships now give Cypriot business owners a more direct route into Armenia and Armenian business owners a more practical route towards Cyprus.
The May 2026 visit was therefore not a one-off business trip. It was another step in building a live, working bridge between two countries that have cultural closeness, political goodwill and a growing practical interest in each other.
The real results will come not from photographs or public statements, but from the next stage: follow-up meetings, concrete proposals, sector-specific cooperation and the ability to turn warm conversations in Yerevan into long-term business relations between Cyprus and Armenia.
