NICOSIA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus has activated a contingency plan to receive third country nationals in case of a conflagration in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Friday.
"Black cloud is massing over Lebanon. We hope that there will be no need, but we have to be ready just in case," Kasoulides told journalists.
He said the Cypriot government has put in motion "Estia" emergency plan which was first applied in the 2006 crisis in Lebanon when Israeli and Hezbollah forces clashed for 34 days, forcing many foreign nationals to be evacuated to Cyprus.
"This time the number of foreign nationals in Lebanon is much bigger than in 2006 and we have to make adequate preparations," he said.
He added that Cyprus has concluded bilateral agreements with several countries to help in the evacuation of their nationals in case of conflict in the region.