Another Romanian national evacuated from Afghanistan

A second Romanian national, an employee of a NATO agency, was evacuated from Afghanistan on Thursday night by a Romanian Air Force aircraft, according to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE). The Romanian had already been at the international airport in Kabul, and with him three other citizens of NATO countries were also taken over: a Bulgarian, a British and an American. The Romanian Air Force military aircraft landed at Kabul International Airport at night. As in the case of the first flight, in addition to the military personnel, a mobile consular team of the MAE was on board. After picking up the passengers, the plane took off for Islamabad, where it arrived safely. The evicted Romanian citizen will be temporarily housed in Islamabad and will be repatriated to Romania. MAE says the Romanian Air Force aircraft will continue to be stationed in Islamabad, being prepared to travel again to Kabul to evacuate other Romanian nationals as they arrive at the international airport. Also, Romania's Inter-institutional Task Force continues the complex steps, through specific channels, to ensure the transfer to the airport of other Romanian nationals. The task force keeps permanent contact with Romanian nationals in various places in Kabul. MAE emphasises that in the Afghan capital there are still particularly difficult and dangerous security conditions that did not make it possible for other Romanians to access the airport before the aircraft took off. In the same situation are other citizens of European or NATO member states who could not reach the airport to be picked up by the aircraft sent by their countries. The Inter-institutional Task Force has already taken steps to identify, validate and contact Afghan citizens, former collaborators of Romanian troops on their mission in Afghanistan, as well as scholarship students with ongoing studies in Romania or who have been accepted to study in Romania. They will be evacuated by the Romanian aircraft to the extent that they can reach the airport in Kabul. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)