Pafos Live 8 August 2024
The Department of Forests of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment announces that, by order of the Director of the Department of Forests, Dr. Savvas Ezekiel and after consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, assistance is being sent through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to the Republic of North Macedonia to deal with forest fires in the areas of Chashka and Sveti Nikole. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Konstantinos Kombos was also briefed on this.
The request of the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre concerned the dispatch of two (2) aircraft from Cyprus to the Republic of North Macedonia to deal with forest fires in the above areas. The mission consists of two (2) Air Tractor airplanes of the Department of Forests with four (4) crew and five (5) ground support personnel.
The departure of the planes took place today, 7/8/2024 at 10:15 a.m., from Pafos airport to Skopje International Airport (with an intermediate stop at Rhodes airport for refuelling). It is estimated that the mission will be in the Republic of North Macedonia around 5:00pm. where he will be informed and will receive details about the mission, which will start early in the morning of the 8th August.. Also, the mission will remain and operate in the Republic of North Macedonia for five days.
These aircraft shall be equipped with appropriate equipment for refuelling and foaming. They are also equipped with appropriate telecommunications equipment both for communication with the Flying Means Unit in Larnaka, as well as for the transfer of information and photographic material to it.
These two aircraft have been included in the rescEU mechanism since mid-June, 2024 (under which Member States are funded to strengthen their disaster response assets with a commitment to use these assets for the benefit of other Member States when needed) and this is their first mission.
The Republic of Cyprus has always responded to provide assistance to neighbouring countries either by utilizing the provisions of interstate agreements or within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
