Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas has assured his British counterpart John Healey that the Republic of Cyprus' services are on high alert and readiness to implement a citizens evacuation plan "Estia" to provide humanitarian help to foreign nationals whenever is necessary. The two Ministers had a meeting on Wednesday in Nicosia and according to a press release by the Ministry of Defence "they reaffirmed the need to achieve stability and security and the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East and the two countries' readiness to help out in civilian evacuation operations from Lebanon." Palmas, the press release adds, "assured his British counterpart that the Republic of Cyprus' services are on high alert and readiness to implement the "Estia" plan for the provision of humanitarian help to foreign nationals whenever necessary." Source: Cyprus News Agency