site.btaForeign Ministry's Crisis Task Force on Middle East Situation Holds Briefing

Foreign Ministry's crisis task force on the security situation in the Middle East held a briefing on Sunday. The task force members gave information on the number and state of Bulgarians in the region and the support they are receiving.

Foreign Ministry's Consular Relations Directorate Director Nikolay Vanchev said that there is no information about any Bulgarian citizens injured or killed in connection with the events in the Middle East. "We are ready to use aircraft to assist Bulgarian citizens once the crisis is over and the airspace is reopened," he added.

Caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva said that the total number of Bulgarian organized tourists in the countries affected by the military conflict in the Middle East exceeds 1,450. The largest number of stranded tourists is in Dubai. Individual attempts to leave the region are not recommended for the sake of tourist safety and security, she stressed.

Deputy Foreign Minister Velizar Shalamanov said that the best possible conditions to ensure the safety of Bulgarian citizens in the Middle East have been created. "We are fully coordinating with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport," he added.

Foreign Ministry's Situation Centre Directorate Director Irena Dimitrova underlined that the task force is working around the clock, receiving all the calls regarding the Middle East situation. "To date, over 150 emails and over 180 phone calls have been processed in relation to the United Arab Emirates alone," she said. Regarding the situation in Iran, Dimitrova explained that, in addition to the embassy staff and their families, who are also a priority, there are about 40 other citizens who are permanent residents and have families with local nationals. "We have up-to-date information about them, but at this point we have not received any requests for evacuation," she added.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Petko Doykov said that the task force is in contact with all Bulgarian ambassadors in the region. "We receive first-hand information from them to understand how events are unfolding and how they may negatively affect Bulgarian citizens there," added. He announced that caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky had held two telephone conversations with her counterparts from Israel and Kuwait on Sunday alone. By the end of the day, she will have held three more such conversations with countries in the region, and more are planned for tomorrow, Doykov said.