The importance of regional cooperation in the Southeast Mediterranean region, especially in regards to natural disasters, was pointed out during an event held at the United Nations and organized by the permanent mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations and the corresponding Israeli one as well as by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The event entitled 'Regional Cooperation: Enhancing National Resilience and Preparedness' concerned UNDRR (United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction), one of the main pillars of which is the international cooperation between states and different stakeholders. The purpose of this side event was to shed light on the activities of different countries and international institutions, in different parts of the world that not only contribute to risk reduction and preparedness, but also fortify and enhance the capacities and resilience of each country.
Professor of Risk Assessment at the European University of Cyprus, Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Cyprus for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, George Boustras, Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Captain Laurent Alfonso, European Affairs Officer at the French Ministry of the Interior and Civil Protection Expert at the Union for the Mediterranean addressed the event.
In his intervention, Boustras referred to the role of Cyprus with the trilateral (Cyprus - Israel - Greece) and 3+1 schemes and the potential of their impact in creating a positive agenda in the area.
He also cited examples of previous catastrophes in the area and how they led to regional (and international) collaboration.
Specifically, he spoke about the fires in Evia in 2021, the fires in Jerusalem in 2021 and the fires in Cyprus in 2021.
Boustras referred to case studies of successfully implemented Regional Collaboration in Civil Protection in the SE Mediterranean, as the PDEX - JIP Project as a catalyst promoting collaboration in the area.
Source: Cyprus News Agency