Cyprus and Greece sign MoU on emergency cooperation

Cyprus and Greece will on Friday sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in matters related to the implementation of the Single European Emergency Number 112.

The MoU will be signed by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, and the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece, Vassilis Kikilias.

The signing of the MoU resulted from the intergovernmental meeting held last November in Athens, where it was decided to strengthen Cyprus-Greece cooperation in a wide range of issues, including the field of civil protection.

The MoU “aims to define the cooperation framework between the two states for the effective implementation of the communication services offered by 112.”

The services include, among others, receiving and managing all calls to 112 and sending public warning messages in emergency situations.

“With the signing of the MoU, the cooperation of the two countries is established, so that a modern and reliable system of civil protection and timely information to citizens can be implemented on the part of the Republic of Cyprus,” the announcement said.

Cyprus and Greece will develop cooperation for the exchange of best practices and know-how, while joint educational seminars and programmes will be organised for the training of 112 officials, as well as awareness campaigns for the public on the use of 112.  

Prior to this, Ioannou will take part in a discussion on supporting EU member states to adapt to climate change and civil protection, as part of the Delphi Economic Forum.