Cyprus has sent two firefighting planes to the Republic of North Macedonia to assist with forest fires in the Chashka and Sveti Nikole areas through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the Department of Forests of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said in an announcement issued on Wednesday.

The request from the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre was for the dispatch of two planes from Cyprus to the Republic of North Macedonia to help combating the forest fires in the aforementioned areas.

Specifically, on the instruction of the Director of the Forestry Department, Dr Savvas Iezekiel and after consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Maria Panayiotou, and after informing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Constantinos Kombos, it was decided to send two Air Tractor aircraft of the Forests Department with four crew members and five ground support staff.

According to the Department, the planes departed today, Wednesday 7/8/2024 at 10:15 am from Paphos Airport heading to Skopje International Airport (with a stopover at Rhodes Airport for refuelling). It is estimated that the mission will arrive in the Republic of North Macedonia around 5 pm where it will be briefed and receive details of the mission, which will start early the following morning (8/8/2024) and will remain in the Republic of North Macedonia for five days.

It is added that the aircrafts are equipped with suitable equipment for refuelling and foam use, as well as the appropriate telecommunication equipment both for communicating with the Department’s Aircraft Unit in Larnaca and the transmitting of information and photographic material.