When planning her attendance in a European meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, COTEC President Anu Söderström contacted the Pancyprian Association of Occupational Therapists suggesting meeting the Board of the Association as well as practitioners and eventually also important partners. President of the Association, Despina Kaimi, managed to prepare an intense program for COTEC President.

The highlight was a meeting with the Minister of Health, Mr. Damianou and a representative of the health insurance organisation together with four members of the Board of the Association at the Cyprus Ministry of Health. Two achievements of the meeting were the agreement of having the next meeting already in June and the compulsory Code of Ethics for OT can proceed to the next phase without assessment since the association has the code prepared. Representatives of the Association were well prepared for the meeting and had provided the Minister with appropriate documentation.

Two site visits in Nicosia offered Ms. Söderström the opportunity to meet local occupational therapists and students. It was useful to hear about the position of the profession, referral policies, working conditions and plans to develop the profession and also provided opportunities to plan future networking.

The association prepared a press release about Ms. Söderström´s visit, this can be read here