The Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State co-hosted the Sub-Regional Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear (CBRN) Response and Assistance Workshop (SR2 Cyprus) at the Cyprus Center for Land, Open Seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS), on June 13 and 14. A press release by the US Embassy says that the training brought together approximately 60 participants from Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States under the 3+1 cooperation mechanism. Representatives from many different agencies, including civil protection, health, environmental protection, internal security, defense, and international affairs, discussed how to coordinate a joint response to a CBRN crisis during the workshop. Participants heard presentations and shared best practices with CBRN preparedness and incident response experts. The workshop underscored the need to invest in CBRN preparedness, the importance of continued exercises to practice responses to a major crisis, and the value of working together with regional partners and leverage foreign assistance to save lives, protect the environment, and minimize harm to all communities. Additionally, participants were encouraged to explore potential areas for future response cooperation in the 3+1 format, including assessments of response capabilities and gaps. The SR2 Cyprus workshop is part of a series of events led by the Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the US Department of State. It is designed to enhance international cooperation to deter and defend against the increasing use of CBRN weapons globally. The United States continues to strongly support regional efforts that enhance and promote cooperation and regional stability, including the 3+1 mechanism in which the Republic of Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States participate, the press release says.
Source: Cyprus News Agency