President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday was slated to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in New York, in a snap turn of events following “crucial developments”.
Mikati was not going to attend the UN General Assembly taking place in New York, however sources close to the matter said in light of “crucial developments” he decided to fly out for a series of contacts.
He specifically requested a meeting with Christodoulides, a source told the Cyprus Mail.
The announcement for the meeting comes as the UK deployed 700 troops to Cyprus as it prepares for mass evacuations from Lebanon.
Though the government has activated its Estia evacuation plan since August, the foreign ministry said Cyprus is at the highest level of preparedness for evacuations from the region.
Fierce fighting this week between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah has increased fears that nearly a year of conflict will explode and destabilise the Middle East, where a war between Hamas and Israel is already raging in Gaza.