Foreign Ministry urges Bulgarians living in six Middle Eastern countries to leave ‘while they still can’

Bulgarians permanently resident in six Middle Eastern countries should “leave while they still can”, with the situation on the verge of dramatic deterioration, deputy foreign minister Marin Raykov told a briefing on March 23.

The warning applies to Bulgarians living in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Iran, Raykov said.

“They should leave the region immediately while the airports are still operating and the airspace is open,” he said.

“We are in constant contact with our partners, with our allies. We are constantly analyzing the situation on the ground. This situation is currently becoming more complicated. Realistically, the security conditions are on the verge of, I would say, a dramatic deterioration,” Raykov said.

“We carried out a fairly massive evacuation of our citizens from the conflict zone in the Middle East just a few days ago, but the war is not over,” he said.

Every available civil, commercial flight is an opportunity that is undesirable to miss, Raykov said.

“A risk index of level 5 has been set for these countries, that is, we warn of the possibility of suspending all options for evacuation by commercial and civil means. All travel must be suspended. to these countries. Staying there is a matter of personal responsibility and, accordingly, taking risks,” he said.

“In a situation of closed airspace, the Bulgarian state cannot continue to send free evacuation flights for thousands of Bulgarian citizens who would ignore this warning,” Raykov said.

In a separate statement on March 23, the Foreign Ministry said that it categorically condemns the missile attacks on the Ras Laffan liquefied gas industrial complex in Qatar, which caused significant damage to the facility.

“We reaffirm our position that attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are unacceptable, constitute a serious violation of international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2817, and pose serious risks to the environment, as well as to regional and global security,” the ministry said.

“We express our full solidarity with the State of Qatar and the other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which are key partners of Bulgaria and the European Union, emphasizing that their security is of strategic importance for global energy, economic and food stability.”

“We again call for an immediate cessation of attacks, for all parties to show restraint, to prevent further escalation, and to return to the principles of a rules-based international order,” the ministry said.

Bulgaria remains committed to working with its international partners to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure and stability in the region, the Foreign Ministry said.

(Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)