Minister of Defence, Charalambos Petrides, gave today the assurance that the Republic of Cyprus is committed to complying with the responsibilities deriving from oil and gas exploitation activities in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
In statements on the sidelines of the multinational exercise “NEMESIS 2022”, part of which he attended from the Operations Center of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Larnaca, the Minister said that “we attended part of the scenarios concerning the multinational exercise “NEMESIS 2022″, with the participation of eight countries including the Republic of Cyprus. For the first time, special emphasis was given on the maritime area where 9 of the 13 pieces (of the Cypriot EEZ) were included in various exercises”.
He added that “with this exercise we show the interdisciplinary but also the multinational cooperation between the countries and our preparedness for emergency needs within our Exclusive Economic Zone”.
The Minister congratulated all participants as well as the more than 20 government services and private organisations that participated with various means and personnel in today’s demanding exercise, which is being conducted with complete success.
Moreover, in his address, the Minister of Defence said that “this important Multinational Exercise has become one of our flagship activities with a true regional outlook.”
NEMESIS, he noted, “is now in its ninth consecutive year, since its inception back in 2013, and has become an integral part of our annual Exercise program with key partners, stakeholders, government agencies, the private sector and importantly the oil and gas industry.”
He added that “we are making every effort to continuously improve and upgrade the procedures for addressing any emergency situation such as terrorist attack, Search and Rescue, marine pollution within Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. As we are bound by following international law and UNCLOS our actions and partnerships aim to promote a safe and secure Eastern Mediterranean for delivering growth and prosperity to all countries in the region”.
As Petrides said “the success of this multinational and multiagency exercise is based on the high level of cooperation and coordination amongst all the participants. It is, truly, a comprehensive and holistic exercise which includes the private sector and the oil and gas industry in order to integrate their needs.”
He also added that “NEMESIS 2022, like every large-scale exercise, is a great opportunity to extract valuable lessons that will enhance our capabilities, capacities and update our procedures.”
He also expressed the belief that “I have no doubt that all participants will grasp this opportunity to take their professionalism a step further and draw important lessons learned”.
The Minister of Defence also expressed his sincere gratitude to the countries that participate with assets and personnel, namely Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. “We hope that next year, on the tenth anniversary of “NEMESIS”, more countries will participate” he said and noted that the long-term support of these countries, “is an honor and a tribute to our bilateral defense cooperation with each country participating in the exercise”.
At the same time, he described the exercise as “very important for the promotion of effective regional cooperation for the stability and security of the region as a whole”.
It is noted that the exercise, which is conducted in four phases, was attended by the Chief of the National Guard and the Ambassadors of Greece and Israel.
Source: Cyprus News Agency