In an effort to respond to natural disasters in the region more efficiently, Cyprus and Greece have set up the joint “Epicentre” project, which was officially launched by Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis on Wednesday.

“Cyprus, like the entire Eastern Mediterranean, is located in one of the most seismically active regions in Europe, this makes it absolutely necessary to strengthen prevention, preparedness and effective crisis management,” the minister said.

The project aims to foster effective disaster response in both Cyprus and Greece through a variety of measures.

These include the drafting of an updated, common operational framework, joint training programmes for earthquakes, as well as modern technology and crisis prevention and crisis management.

More practically, the project stipulates the provision of modern rescue vehicles and specialised equipment to allow for the smooth running of rescue and risk operations.

Involved partners will be trained to develop a shared operational understanding.

These include the Cyprus fire service, the Greek fire brigade, the Cyprus civil defence, the decentralised administration of Crete and the municipality of Syros.

“In addition to material resources and know-how, it is important that we strengthen our collective conscience and the continuous cooperation between agencies, creating a protection network that will withstand time and challenges,” Hartsiotis said.

The interior ministry’s permanent secretary Elikkos Elias described the project as “a transition from individual response to a common operational concept” and emphasised  that the targeted phenomena required a collective effort.

“The necessity of this initiative is self-evident, since the entire cooperation area is located in one of the most seismic zones internationally. This reality does not change. However, what we can and must change is the degree of preparedness, prevention, resilience and coordinated response of our services,” he said.

Elias added that the training programme aimed to improve coordination and strengthen skills, including first aid and rescue from debris, reduce response time, and fortify the psychological resilience of those involved, stressing that this was particularly relevant for members of the civil defence.

“With today’s launch, we are taking an important step towards a safer and more resilient future. A future where our services will operate as a single mechanism, where response time will be reduced and the quality of operational action will be enhanced,” he said.

Chief fire officer Nikos Logginos said the project was being implemented as part of the framework of the European Interreg VI-A Greece-Cyprus 2021-2027 programme, co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund and National Resources of Cyprus and Greece, amounting to a total of €2.5 million.

“With this project, both the local operational capacity and our common cross-border preparedness are strengthened. Greece and even more so Cyprus are located in a seismic environment due to their geological position, making the project even more critical,” Logginos said.

He highlighted that, given its location in the convergence area between the African and Eurasian plates, Cyprus was particularly vulnerable to seismic phenomena, stressing that earthquakes had to be treated as a “realistic and constant risk”, rather than a just a possibility.

“Cyprus, as it is located in the so-called ‘Cyprus arc’, in the convergence area of the African and Eurasian plates where high seismic activity is observed, becomes particularly vulnerable to seismic phenomena. These conditions confirm that we must face earthquakes not as a possibility, but as a realistic and constant risk,” Logginos said.

Logginos added that collective efforts were a crucial part of ensuring preparedness in the event of both natural disasters and earthquakes, stressing that the project aimed to “substantially strengthen” the operational capabilities and expertise of all stakeholders involved.

“In the face of disasters, unity, solidarity and joint action constitute the strongest defense,” he concluded.

Cyprus was hit by two earthquakes, ranking 5.3 on the Richter scale in mid-November, which prompted the evacuation of several buildings, though only causing minor damage.