Filenews 18 June 2025
Coordinated actions for the safe repatriation of Cypriot citizens from areas affected by the armed conflict in the Middle East are underway, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis said.
As he announced, 10 Cypriot citizens were transferred last night from Egypt to Athens by an aircraft of the Greek Air Force, after they had previously fled Israel. At the same time, in the framework of the European project Estia, three other Cypriots were repatriated to Cyprus with the help of the Slovak Air Force, after escaping through Jordan.
In his intervention on CyBC's "Morning Route" show, Mr. Gotsis said that five more Cypriots who were in Iran managed to cross to Armenia, while arrangements are underway for their transfer to Cyprus.
He also made special reference to the Cypriot patients who are still in Israel, noting that, in addition to the four who were transported yesterday to Cyprus by flying ambulance, efforts are being made to return other patients along with their companions.
Regarding the operational implementation of the Estia project, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said that so far four flights have been operated from Amman, Jordan, with Slovak military aircraft, as well as one flight from Portugal. Through these flights, a total of 132 people were transported to Cyprus, the majority of whom were citizens of European Union member states.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to closely monitor developments in the region and to activate coordination and cooperation networks with other European countries, in order to ensure the safety of Cypriot citizens and to organize their transfer, where necessary.
