Iran FM urges Slovakia to facilitate return of nationals amid Ukraine crisis
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has called on Slovakia to facilitate the return of Iranian nationals to their homeland as Tehran continues consultations with Ukraine's neighboring countries to ensure the safety of its expats in the wake of the worsening conflict in the former Soviet state.
Amir-Abdollahian and his Slovakian counterpart, Ivan Korcok, discussed the situation in Ukraine on the phone on Friday, during which the top Iranian diplomat expressed hope for the settlement of the crisis in a “political and peaceful” way after Russia launched a military operation in its former Soviet neighbor.
Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran plans to transfer its citizens to their homeland by flight after they have entered Ukraine's neighboring countries, including Slovakia.
“A group of Iranian nationals living in Ukraine have requested to leave the country,” Iran’s foreign minister said. “We call on the Slovakian government to cooperate and assist with the entry of Iranian nationals from Ukraine to Slovakia without a visa.”
The top Slovak diplomat, for his part, welcomed Amir-Abdollahian’s proposal and announced his country's readiness to cooperate with Iranian citizens to leave Ukraine through the Slovakian border without the need for a visa.
Iranian citizens can enter Slovakia through the borders of Ukraine and travel to Iran, Korcok underlined.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday a "special military operation" aimed at “demilitarization” of eastern Ukraine's restive Donetsk and Lugansk regions, collectively known as Donbas.
The regions broke away from Ukraine in 2014 after refusing to recognize a West-backed Ukrainian government that had overthrown a democratically-elected, pro-Moscow administration.
Putin said the mission was aimed at “defending people who for eight years are suffering persecution and genocide by the Kiev regime.”
The Kiev government has called for the "toughest sanctions possible" as Russian forces are making rapid advances towards the capital, with reports saying 137 Ukrainians, both military personnel and civilians, have been killed since the attack began, and 316 more were wounded.
The European Union and the US have already slapped various sanctions against Moscow in response to the military action.
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