As part of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Cyprus Military Representation to the EU has hosted a high‑level workshop on the EU’s role in supporting civilian evacuation operations across the Middle East and North Africa.
The event brought together political, civilian and military officials to exchange experiences and best practices on crisis response, with a focus on non‑combatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance, civil–military coordination and multinational cooperation.
Opening the workshop, Colonel Constantinos G. Constantinou, Cyprus’ Military Representative to the EU Military Committee, stressed the need for stronger coordination among member states and EU mechanisms to respond effectively to evolving crises and ensure civilian protection.
Senior national and EU officials delivered presentations on the role of coordination centres, challenges in multinational operations and the importance of preparedness, joint exercises and information‑sharing.
Participants also discussed Cyprus’ experience in humanitarian assistance and evacuation missions, as well as lessons learned from recent EU crisis‑response efforts in the region.
The workshop concluded with a discussion on next steps, identifying areas for further work during and beyond the Cyprus Presidency to strengthen cooperation and support future EU initiatives on civilian evacuation and crisis response.