Departure from Afghanistan
After the armed rebels have taken over power in Afghanistan, Romania, alongside western states, is speeding up evacuation operations.
Daniela Budu, 17.08.2021, 14:00
Chaos grips Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops. The international community seems to have been taken by surprise and is now forced to take emergency measures. In just a few days, the Taliban conquered the countrys major cities and overthrew the government in Kabul. They have announced that the war is over and have called on the international community not to isolate them. In the meantime, more than 60 states are asking the Taliban to allow all citizens who want to flee the country to leave. In the context of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE has announced that the Inter-institutional Crisis Cell summoned by the Romanian FM, Bogdan Aurescu, continues its activity to support and provide assistance to the Romanian citizens from Afghanistan, in order to evacuate them safely. At the same time, the Cell is monitoring the latest developments and is keeping in contact with Romanias international partners.
A MAE communiqué recalls that the activity of the Romanian Embassy in Kabul was suspended in 2019, following an attack that severely damaged the mission’s headquarters. Given the lack of an operational mission in Kabul and the fact that the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad has taken over the countrys representation in relation to Afghanistan, the intervention capacity of this mission in Afghanistan is limited, especially in the context of the deteriorating security situation there, the MAE communiqué shows. As early as Friday, when Romania instated the highest crisis alert level over Afghanistan, MAE officials have strongly recommended the Romanian citizens traveling to Afghanistan or who are already on the territory of that state to address the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad and announce their presence in the region, communicating their own contact details so that they can be contacted in emergency situations. The PM Florin Cîțu also asked all Romanian citizens in Afghanistan to leave that country.
Florin Cîțu: “I would like to urge to all Romanians who are still there and have not contacted our diplomatic mission in Pakistan to do so as soon as possible. At this point, we have instated the highest crisis alert level over Afghanistan. Leave Afghanistan immediately!”
Romanias participation in the missions in Afghanistan has marked the history of the last 19 years and has played a decisive role in strengthening the eastern flank – foreign policy analysts say. According to them, by participating in Afghanistan, Romania has consolidated its relationship with the US as well as with the European states, with those who would later become its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and in the European Union. From 2002 until now, over 32,000 Romanian soldiers have participated in the theaters of operations in Afghanistan. 27 Romanian soldiers have died and over 200 have been injured in the almost two decades of the Romanian armys presence in that country. The presence of the Romanian Army in Afghanistan cost the Romanian state approximately 3 billion lei (about 600 million Euros). )LS)
