FM Szijjártó: We have again completed a successful evacuation operation

Hungary has successfully concluded an evacuation operation with the help of its Slovak friends, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Saturday afternoon, adding that the details are being disclosed only now as that is the general rule for security reasons.

In a post on Facebook, Péter Szijjártó noted that the plane Slovakia dispatched to Lebanon as part of the operation left that country’s air space with nine Hungarian citizens and a Lebanese family member on board in the morning hours on Saturday.

“The plane landed first in Cyprus and in these moments is in Bratislava, so all of them are now safe,” he said, noting that in an operation earlier, at the beginning of August, several Hungarians wanting to leave Lebanon had been taken home with a plane of the Hungarian armed forces.

“With a view to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, this time we again offered our help to all Hungarians staying in Lebanon, ten of whom registered themselves, so we and our Slovak friends have agreed that they would ensure seats to the Hungarians on their plane,” the foreign minister said.

“Such a cooperation is not unprecedented since we, whenever possible, always offer seats on our evacuation flights to neighbouring countries and EU member states who generally use the possibility,” he said.

Szijjártó said in the recent operation the evacuation of the Hungarians carried out by Slovakia had been coordinated by Hungary’s diplomatic mission in Beirut. Hungary’s consuls were there in Larnaca and Bratislava to meet them and provide them every assistance, he said.

Pointing out the risk of the situation’s escalation in the Middle East, the foreign minister asked Hungarian citizens to avoid travelling to the region.

Read also:

• Surprising? Slovak plane evacuates Hungarians from Lebanon, says FM Szijjártó