CYPRUS: Maritime search & rescue exercise underway

A national maritime Search & Rescue exercise codenamed "Argonaut 2019" got underway off Cyprus on Tuesday.

The exercise, held from May 28-30, involves the Ministry of Defence announced, in cooperation with Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs and is observed by a large number of foreign army officers and members of the diplomatic corps.

The exercise takes place in four phases within the Nicosia FIR and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus.

In the framework of the exercise Cyprus authorities will evaluate the national schemes "Estia" and "Tefkros" which provide for the reception of large numbers of non-combatant evacuees from neighbouring countries as well as handling search and rescue incidents.