site.btaUPDATED First Evacuation Flights for Bulgarians in Middle East to Take Place Wednesday, Foreign Minister Says

Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said that the Cabinet hopes that the first evacuation flights for Bulgarians in Middle East countries will take place early on Wednesday. She talked Tuesday at a briefing in the Council of Ministers on the Middle East situation.

"We have already organized the evacuation of the Bulgarians in Oman," she added. Neynsky said that around 300 people are expected with the flight.

The repatriation of Bulgarians from Abu Dhabi and Dubai is also forthcoming, she said. "Everything depends on where flight slots are granted to us," she stressed. Permission is given for a specific time window, Neynsky explained. She noted that if such an evacuation fails due to a security problem, the slot is withdrawn and a new request for evacuation must be submitted.

“We have prepared detailed lists by country. In Saudi Arabia, evacuation is not necessary, as the airport is operating normally,” Neynsky also said. “At this point, Israel is the most difficult case for understandable reasons, but all alternative options are being explored,” the caretaker Foreign Minister revealed.

“All available resources have been mobilized – the national carrier, the government aviation unit, companies that have aircraft,” Neynsky said.

She added that flight permissions are being constantly checked in order to determine what size aircraft should be sent to each destination. “We are informed about humanitarian cases, we are informed about people dependent on insulin,” she said.

The Foreign Minister also reported that there is information about Bulgarians in more remote destinations and resort areas where it is more difficult to send aircraft, citing the Maldives as an example. “We are looking into where they can travel to a safe airport from which we can gather them,” she said.

The security services are also providing assistance, the Foreign Minister assured, adding that efforts are being made to avoid chaos and disorderly withdrawal of Bulgarian nationals. Neynsky underlined that Bulgaria is also in contact with other countries such as Greece and Turkiye, which can likewise provide assistance.