Iran Askes Hungary To Help Evacuate Nationals From Ukraine

Ukrainians crossing the border to Poland. February 25, 2020
Ukrainians crossing the border to Poland. February 25, 2020

Iran has asked Hungary for humanitarian assistance to facilitate the evacuation of its citizens living in Ukraine through Hungarian territory.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a telephone conversation with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó on Friday about the crisis in Ukraine and how Budapest can help Iranian nationals who want to leave Ukraine.

“Iranian citizens, including students, families of diplomats, and other Iranians living in Ukraine, want to enter the Polish and Hungarian borders to return to Iran,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

According to Szijjártó, Hungary will open a humanitarian corridor for citizens from third-party countries like Iran or India fleeing Ukraine.

It will let them in without visa and take them to the nearest airport, which is Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city about 170 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Szijjarto also said in a video posted on his Facebook page that cars were queuing for up to 3-5 kilometers on the Ukrainian side at five crossing points.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it is trying to obtain necessary permissions for one or more special flights to evacuate Iranians from some parts of Ukraine despite the fact the country’s airspace remains closed because of the Russian invason.

According to estimates, about 5,000 Iranian nationals work or study in Ukraine.