Cyprus has activated its Special National Plan ESTIA as the security situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate rapidly.
The decision was taken by the Ministerial Crisis Management Group, comprising the Foreign Minister, the Defence Minister, the Interior Minister, and the Minister of Justice and Public Order, according to an official Foreign Ministry announcement.
The plan covers the possible reception and repatriation of third-country nationals from crisis areas via Cypriot territory.
ESTIA is the Foreign Ministry’s national emergency action plan, activated in cases of emergency or crisis to facilitate the safe evacuation of nationals from crisis zones in the wider Middle East through Cyprus.
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said Cyprus was “closely monitoring the developments in the region” and remained “in constant contact” with its diplomatic missions on the ground, adding that the Ministry’s Crisis Management Department “remains active and ready to respond as developments unfold.”
Cyprus’s diplomatic missions are also monitoring the situation closely, with particular focus on the safety and welfare of Cypriot nationals in the wider region, the Ministry said.
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