Cyprus set to become a regional centre for managing natural disasters

The CyCLOPS training centre gives Cyprus the opportunity to become a regional centre for the management of natural disasters in the wider region, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said on Wednesday.

The training centre, which cost €7.5 million, was donated to the Cypriot government with costs entirely covered by the US government, the minister said.

“It is a regional training centre that has been placed under the administration and coordination of the civil defence,” he said, adding that already, 30 training seminars have been conducted and planned for the countries of the wider and near Middle East, including Cyprus, for issues dealing with civil defence and natural disasters.

“We consider it a very important investment that has been made in our country,” he said.

“The centre in question is now 100 per cent Cypriot owned and certainly gives Cyprus the opportunity to become a regional centre in terms of the effort to help the wider region in matters of natural disasters and disasters in general,” Nouris concluded.