I reconvened the Ministerial Group on Crisis Management (Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior, Justice and Public Order) today, following the completion of flights from Sudan to assist in civilian evacuation operations. With my fellow Ministers, we decided to complete the Special National Plan "ESIA", which was implemented on 25 April, following requests from the authorities of friendly countries.
In total, 2611 civilians from 29 different states managed, through Cyprus, to escape the danger posed by the conflict. In such circumstances, as at this moment in Sudan, close cooperation is the only way for the international community to respond. The Republic of Cyprus is a regional factor of stability and a safe haven. This has been confirmed in recent days.
To this end, the cooperation with the personnel of the Diplomatic Missions of countries whose citizens were transferred to Cyprus has been exemplary.
I wish to express the Government's wholehearted thanks to all the relevant governmental services, which have cooperated harmoniously. We thank their staff who worked tirelessly and with dedication during the last eleven days, day and night, so that the evacuation operations could be carried out on time and in the best possible way.
In particular, I would like to mention the professionalism and dedication shown by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, who worked under the guidance of the National Crisis Management Centre throughout these days, both by reinforcing the human resources of the officers who were constantly at the "ZION" Coordination Centre in Larnaca and, of course, by working closely with our competent Diplomatic Missions in Cairo and Amman.
The successful implementation of the Plan would certainly not have been possible without the continuous effort on the part of all the volunteers, both of the Cyprus Red Cross and those accompanying the members of the Civil Defence Force.
Cyprus remains ready to support in any way it can the efforts of the international community to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, while supporting the efforts for a successful mediation between the two warring sides, with the aim of finding a political solution as soon as possible.
(MF/MB)
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