Cyprus engaged in dialogue with Russia to provide facilities
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Nicosia and Moscow are engaged in a dialogue on providing facilities for humanitarian purposes and for emergencies, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides has said, adding that once an agreement is scrutinised from the legal point of view, Cyprus and Russia will sign it.
“As we have repeatedly stated, there is a dialogue underway between the governments of Cyprus and Russia on facilities for humanitarian purposes and for emergencies,” the Foreign Minister said in statements at the Presidential Palace.
He explained that “this is an agreement for the evacuation of Russian citizens from the Middle East area and emergency cases as provided by international law. The same applies to the case of France. France and Germany have additionally facilities granted for their participation in UNIFIL, the UN mission in Lebanon.”
Asked if the same facilities would be granted to Russia, Kasoulides said that “in cases of emergency we are, under international law, obliged to grant them these facilities. If human life is at risk, of course we will provide these facilities.”
Asked if the government intends to grant any country facilities for operations against the Islamic State, Kasoulides said that in the case of France and the facilities provided to it, French planes can use Cypriot airports when they are in a state of emergency.
Asked whether these facilities would be provided to other countries, he said that “international law requires to provides anyone with such facilities in an emergency situation. And there is an agreement and after it is examined from the legal point of view, it will be signed with Moscow as well.”
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY