Security in Cyprus and of Cypriot citizens in the region our priority, says Kombos

The Government’s priority is the security both in Cyprus and of Cypriot citizens in the region, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said in his remarks after the conclusion of the National Security Council meeting on Wednesday morning at the Presidential Palace, chaired by President Nikos Christodoulides.

Beginning his remarks, Kombos first advised caution to all, because, he said, fake news are being circulated, and are escalating along with the conflict in the region.

Turning to the subject of today’s session, he said that following yesterday’s missile attack on Israel by Iran, the situation in the region has now entered a different phase in terms of danger and it is something that worries all sides, with the European Union having made a statement, as has the majority of member states, including the Republic of Cyprus.

“At this stage, our priority is the security both in Cyprus and of the Cypriot citizens who are in the region, we have taken and are taking the necessary steps for their repatriation,” h
e noted, adding that this depends primarily on them and their willingness to register on the relevant lists held by the diplomatic missions in order to decide the next steps.

“There are open airports in the region, I am talking specifically about Lebanon and Israel. There is an issue with flights, we are trying to coordinate with the Greek government on the one hand, which we thank, and with a private airline in the case of Lebanon, and I hope that soon we will be able to make more specific announcements,” he added.

He also said that yesterday the airspaces in Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Jordan were closed for some hours, resulting in – as had happened on April 13 during the previous missile attack on Israel by Iran – a number of flights that were in the airspaces of the above countries at that time being diverted and landing at Cypriot airports.

“We had 12 flights that arrived at Larnaca Airport, 5 have already departed for their destination. Of the rest we had a total of 1,858 passengers, of which 80
4 have departed, 349 are staying in hotels and are being accommodated until their departure is possible, while 705 are considered to be in transit and remain at Larnaca Airport. All provisions have been made from the outset so that this issue can also be managed, based on the experience we had on 13 April,” he said.

Referring to the Estia plan, he said that it had already been in full readiness for a long time and has now been officially activated, so that it is fully known to those who were interested in using the project that the Republic of Cyprus is ready.

He added that so far there had been one formal request, while facilities had been provided to 9 states which had requested assistance at a preparatory stage.

He further explained that as long as airports are open in the affected countries in the region, there are no state-organised evacuations of citizens as they are carried out by private initiatives.

He added that the Estia plan is about assisting states when they wish to evacuate their citizens f
rom danger areas.

He also said that the plan is fully activated at the moment and that the effort is ongoing, adding that a meeting would follow at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with all relevant ministries for what he said was a comprehensive review of the preparations that have been made in terms of capacity and hosting points, security issues, etc.

Among the issues discussed at the meeting was that of migration, the Foreign Minister continued, adding that this has been of concern to the RoC throughout the past period and in the context of the crisis, as it is taking shape by the hour.

According to Kombos, instructions have been given by the President of the Republic to take all necessary measures to protect against possible flows, which may arise either because of the situation or because of the attempt to create new routes, especially in the context of exploiting what is happening in the region.

“For us what is happening in the area is particularly dangerous. We join the voices calling for an immedi
ate deescalation. It is a difficult situation, but in the context and to the extent of its capabilities, the Republic of Cyprus is doing all that it should, sending the right messages to the right recipients and making its own preparations at all levels,” he said.

He added that Cyprus is not part of this problem, on the contrary, it is part of the effort to provide the humanitarian assistance needed at this stage, with evacuations and cooperation with other states to this end.

“Anything else that points to some kind of different approach by the Republic is of mischievous nature and this is something that we naturally and absolutely reject,” he concluded.

Asked about fake news instances in particular, Kombos said that earlier in the day news circulated that Israel’s Ambassador to Cyprus had been kidnapped, which he said was not true and constitutes a prime example of the extent which such efforts can reach.

Asked which country had made a request for the Estia plan, he said that such a request had preceded
yesterday’s attack and concerned the arrival of third country nationals by sea yesterday, some 80 people, with a further number being expected, adding that he would not wish to make specific references as it was up to the countries themselves to make statements.

Asked about the possible scenarios included in the operational plans, the Foreign Minister said that in the event of airport closures, there could be cooperation with other countries for arrivals through ports, while there were also possibilities of using military aircraft that could evacuate citizens of those countries.

He recalled that this is the third time that the Estia plan has been activated in order to be ready if and when needed in the context of what is happening in Lebanon. “We all hope that we don’t have to go into the actual implementation, but in between there is an intermediate situation where states are already trying to assist in the evacuation of their citizens but that is not considered an evacuation. We are assisting in this situ
ation as well,” he said.

Asked to comment on an ongoing process regarding the evacuation of Cypriot citizens from the region, Kombos explained that there are Cypriot nationals in Lebanon and Israel who are in frequent contact with the local diplomatic missions, with their interest in leaving having increased in recent hours.

“The more dangerous the situation becomes, the more the requests increase. We have the record, we are in contact with them and the necessary actions and arrangements are being made so that we can assist,” he stressed, noting that the airports are open, there are commercial flights, but there are no seats available, so an alternative is being sought should their interest remains.

Moreover, on the same issue, government sources noted that the number of Cypriot citizens who have expressed interest in leaving the area has reached 105.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, addressing the members of the Council, said that the aim of the meetin
g was initially to take stock of the situation.

He added that the Government was in contact with all the neighbouring states, as well as with the European Union and the United States of America, it had already activated the Estia plan and that there were some flights diverted at Larnaca airport and people staying overnight in the Republic of Cyprus.

Other issues to be addressed included recording and managing arrivals so far, the situation with Cypriot nationals either in Lebanon or Israel who wish to return, the assessment of information in relation to next steps, briefing the EU and the information from his contacts with leaders of neighbouring states, President Christodoulides added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency