Cyprus to launch new Amalthea aid initiative for Gaza

Forty-four containers carrying 950 tons of humanitarian aid made available in a joint initiative by Cyprus, France, Slovakia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates will be shipped via the Amalthea humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza on Saturday.

“That there is a specific reference to the ‘Amalthea’ humanitarian corridor. On the occasion of the reference to the conclusions, I also informed my colleagues that we will have a new mission [on Saturday],” President Nikos Christodoulides said, speakting after the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday night.

He then mentioned a letter from the President of the European Commission on immigration, according to which Cyprus, along with Austria and Germany, is one of the EU member states which has recorded the most returns of Syrian refugees.

Christodoulides said that the EU Commission also spoke of positive prospects for Cyprus joining Schengen in its letter, noting that progress in this direction had been made.