The international military and civilian exercise Argonaut 2023 got underway on Monday morning.

The four-day exercise, slated to last until Thursday, will be conducted in three phases, in sea, air, and on land.

The ministry of defence said the exercise is organised by the National Guard, in collaboration with the foreign ministry, and search and rescue (S&R) coordination centre (JRCC), with participation of government agencies and personnel from the island and abroad.

As part of the exercise, the existing national rescue plans Estia and Tevkros, which concern the reception of civilians from war-torn areas and S&R incidents falling within the responsibility of the Republic, will be tested..

The exercise will be attended by a large number of foreign military and diplomats, which demonstrates that the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East are areas of high interest for local, regional and global actors, the ministry said.