By Stefanos Evripidou
COMMUNICATIONS Minister Kikis Kazamias was at pains to stress yesterday that Cyprus was not a high-risk zone on the eve of war in Iraq, despite intensified military activity in the island’s air space.
He wanted the whole world to know that “Cyprus is considered a safe haven by many”. Kazamias added various airline companies had requested additional landing permits, which the government had decided to grant. He stressed that Cyprus was still a safe destination, which was why many had chosen the island as the first safe haven to stop off after evacuating high-risk areas.
Regarding the large movement of US warplanes in the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR), the minister said, “Under no circumstances has the island’s national airspace been harmed,” adding, “So far, the situation is under control.”
After meeting with Civil Aviation officers, Kazamias told reporters that up to now, intensified movements in the Nicosia FIR were at a safe level, highlighting that the situation was being monitored closely.
He specified that Civil Aviation was in direct contact with European and international organisations to exchange views and experiences, while contact with American military personnel was being undertaken by the Foreign Ministry. Kazamias added the government was working to improve the level of information exchange and co-operation on the American side.
Foreign Minister George Iakovou met with US Ambassador to Cyprus Michael Klosson yesterday to discuss the massive presence of US warplanes in the Nicosia FIR coming from aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.
According to Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides, the two discussed measures to provide greater co-ordination between the two in an effort to secure the safety of civil aviation and the airports. He added that the US warplanes were flying at an altitude that did not affect civil aviation.
In further developments regarding the build up to war, Chrysostomides said the government is fully aware of what was going on in the British bases. He confirmed that there was military mobility in the bases but did not know precise details.
Asked if the US and their allies were using Cypriot ports and airports as well as the British bases, since they were given cabinet permission after September 11, the spokesman replied that he did not believe those conditions still applied under current circumstances, adding it was a matter for the Foreign Ministry to deal with.
Meanwhile, the British bases issued a statement saying operations to support the deployment of coalition forces in the region were continuing apace from RAF Akrotiri. The report maintains that “activities remain support-oriented and involve the movement of a large amount of logistic traffic in and out of the base”, adding that one of the principal activities was the supply of fuel to aircraft, which involves many tanker aircraft using the airfield facilities.
Also part of the preparations is the improvement of the runway and fuel storage facilities in order to meet increased demand and capacity. Other supplies have been arriving via Limassol port since the beginning of the year. Temporary accommodation and training of troops in transit by the SBAs has been supported by the posting of additional personnel from the UK. Also, the bases hospital has been rehearsing its existing capability to provide an aero-medical service back to the UK, according to the statement.
”All of these are well-established practices that the bases have been conducting for many years. The only aspect that has changed is the frequency and volume in which they are now occurring,” the British Bases press release concludes.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
