Twenty-seven Romanian nationals still in Afghanistan after 16 leave night before

Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) reported on Tuesday that 27 Romanian nationals were still in Afghanistan after 16 managed to leave one night previously. "In the early morning of August 17, 16 more Romanian nationals left Afghanistan. From the moment of yesterday's MAE call to the Romanian nationals who are still in Afghanistan and who have not notified their presence, to contact the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad, the presence of seven more Romanian nationals was confirmed. At this moment, according to MAE records, there are 27 more Romanian nationals in Afghanistan," reads a MAE press statement. According to MAE, procedures for dispatching a Romanian military plane to Kabul were also followed. "Together with the Ministry of Defence and the Romanian Air Force, procedures for moving the military plane to Kabul in order to evacuate the Romanian citizens were urgently carried out yesterday and at night. The extremely complex procedures are completed, and soon the last overflight permit for one of the segments of the flight path will be obtained," according to MAE. On Monday, President Klaus Iohannis ordered the emergency involvement of the Romanian Air Force for the evacuation of Romanian nationals from Afghanistan. "The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, ordered on Monday, August 16, 2021, the urgent involvement of the Romanian Air Force for the evacuation from the Kabul Airport of the Romanian nationals still on the soil of the Afghan state. The decision was taken at the proposal of the Prime Minister of Romania, Florin-Vasile Citu, given the fast deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the need to support the repatriation of Romanian citizens still in this country, as well as the assessments in this regard by the Interinstitutional Task Force convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," according to the Presidential Administration. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Onea, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Cristina Zaharia)