NICOSIA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus has intensified its preparations for potentially handling a mass evacuation of foreign nationals from Lebanon, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said Wednesday.
"Preparations are at the highest level, both in relation to the cooperation with countries of special interest and internally between competent services," Gotsis told the Cyprus News Agency.
Cyprus has activated its "Estia" evacuation plan for the reception and repatriation of foreign citizens from regions of crisis, setting up facilities for temporarily hosting people and facilitating their departure by air.
Gotsis said that no concrete requests for help had been made so far.
The United Kingdom (UK) is moving troops to Cyprus to help its nationals leave Lebanon, the Cyprus Mail reported on Wednesday.
It is estimated that about 10,000 British nationals and many more thousands of other foreign nationals are currently in Lebanon. ■