Philip Morris Cyprus inaugurates new flagship offices in Nicosia

Philip Morris Cyprus’ ambitious goal, the make the island first smoke-free country in Europe, was presented by General Manager Stavros Drakoularakos at the opening of its new offices.

Advocating the company's philosophy, "For every tomorrow we decide today," Drakoularakos highlighted the commitment of the Philip Morris Cyprus team to further accelerate efforts to transition to a cigarette-free Cyprus.

During the event for the opening of the company’s new offices at Labs Tower in the heart of Nicosia and after only 2.5 years of presence in the Cypriot market, Drakoularakos emphasised, "Cyprus can lead the transition to a world without cigarettes and become the first European country to achieve this. We have already made significant progress, with more than 55,000 Cypriots making the switch to better alternatives to cigarettes."

Philip Morris Cyprus’s revenues from new tobacco products now exceeded 70% of its total sales in Cyprus. "This is not just a number," underlined Drakularakos, "but it proves the acceptance by adult smokers and the success of new products in the Cypriot market, strengthening the local economy and creating new employment and development opportunities. Cyprus has the opportunity to take the lead in the public debate, highlighting the benefits of this transition to public health, the environment and the economy."

The event was attended by President Nikos Christodoulides, who in his short address, praised the company's work both on the island and worldwide for a world free from cigarettes. He then toured the company's new offices.

Also speaking at the event, George Margonisk, the CEO of Papastratos, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International in Greec stated, "With an investment of more than 12.5 billion dollars, the operation of research centers in Switzerland and Singapore, and the persistent efforts of 1,586 scientists, engineers and technicians, Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a major transformation in the tobacco industry with a vision of a tobacco-free future."

Both Drakularakos and Margonis recognized the existing challenges in their speeches, such as the illegal trade in cigarettes, minors’ access to them, as well as the lack of proper information on the basis of scientific data, underlining, however, that Philip Morris supports strict legislation and control of sales to young people and takes initiatives to properly inform the public.