Nicosia: A three-member delegation from Israel's National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), led by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Itzik Bar, Head of NEMA, recently visited Cyprus to bolster bilateral cooperation in civil protection, emergency management, and crisis preparedness.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the visit began with a welcome from Theodoros Lemoniatis, Acting Commander of Cyprus Civil Defence. Lemoniatis presented the roles, responsibilities, and capabilities of Cyprus Civil Defence, setting the stage for discussions on advancing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a related Work Plan between the two nations.
During their stay, the Israeli delegation engaged in meetings with representatives from various Cypriot entities, including the Ministry of Interior, Cyprus Civil Defence, Ministry of Defence, National Guard, and other agencies such as the Crisis Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Geological Survey Department. Professor George Boustras, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Cyprus, also participated in these discussions.
The delegation also conducted separate meetings with the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Defence to explore further cooperation prospects in emergency management fields. The visit provided the Israeli delegation with an opportunity to understand the current frameworks, structures, and capabilities of Cyprus in civil protection, crisis coordination, search and rescue, natural hazard monitoring, and aerial firefighting.
Visits to various coordination centres and facilities, including Cyprus Civil Defence facilities, the Training Centre and Search and Rescue Station in Limassol, the ZENON Coordination Centre, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), and the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station (CRAFS), were conducted to emphasize the exchange of experience, expertise, and training.
The visit concluded with the signing of a Work Plan for 2026-2027, aimed at implementing the actions outlined. The shared objective of both nations is to enhance cooperation through expertise exchange in emergency management.