Cyprus hosts Greek firefighting team under EU prepositioning program

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus, Christos Senekis, held an event at the Platania Forest Station in Troodos National Forest Park to honor a visiting Greek firefighting team. This initiative marks the first time Cyprus has participated in the European Prepositioning program as a host nation for a pre-positioned firefighting force.

The Greek mission, consisting of 21 members, arrived to familiarize themselves with the Cypriot forest fire prevention and suppression systems. Their activities include learning about local operational organization, fire protection infrastructure, and the unique environmental conditions of Cyprus's forests. The team is also participating in joint training exercises with personnel from the Department of Forests. Minister Senekis emphasized that the primary goal of the EU-funded program is to foster stronger regional cooperation and bolster European solidarity in addressing the increasing threat of forest fires.