In a lightning visit, Foreign Minister Constandinos Kombos signed a bilateral arrangement with UAE Assistant Minister for Development Affairs and International Organisations on bringing 10 mobile desalination units to Cyprus, as the Arab gulf country has additional reserves.
The units have been loaned to Cyprus by the UAE for as long as needed, following an urgent Nicosia request due to severe and increasingly worsening water shortages. They include the cost of transfer, with the Republic taking over operational management, including maintenance.
According to a foreign ministry statement, the arrangement will allow the island to raise its daily production of desalinated water by 15 thousand cubic metres, as it faces drought conditions and jaw dropping dam capacity. The units have already been loaded and on the way. They are expected to arrive by late May or early June at the latest.
They will be put to use as soon as possible, following the necessary installation and safety processes by the competent authorities in Cyprus.
The foreign ministry extends warm thanks to UAE authorities for the immediate response to a relevant request by Nicosia, a fact that is clear testament to the strategic partnership that has been forged between the two countries and the focus on joint initiatives decidedly improving the daily lives of citizens.
