TEHRAN – In continuation of its efforts to bring home Iranian students trapped in Ukraine or neighboring countries, Iran ratcheted up diplomatic efforts to facilitate the safe return of its citizens. 

To this end, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a telephone call with Iran’s Ambassador to Warsaw Hossein Gharibi, inquired about the latest situation of Iranians living in Ukraine, who have arrived in Poland.

While appreciating the measures taken, Amir Abdollahian asked the ambassador of Iran to Poland to provide all necessary needs, including food and health, to the Iranian citizens.

In this phone call, Gharibi presented a report on the latest situation of Iranians and emphasized that necessary measures have been taken to accommodate and provide other necessities for the Iranians and they are going to be returned by air from Warsaw to Tehran.

He also noted that due to a long line of people on the border, people’s entry into Poland is slow.

The Iranian foreign minister also raised the issue of the Iranian nationals in his recent telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. 

Amir Abdollahian told Lavrov that Iran is making efforts to bring home its citizens in Ukraine through the war-torn country’s neighbors. 

Securing the safety and health of Iranian nationals residing in Ukraine is our top priority and we expect conditions to be set for their safe exit [from Ukraine],” the Iranian foreign minister told his Russian counterpart.

Also, the director general of the Eurasia Department at the Iranian Foreign Ministry held a meeting with Ukraine’s ambassador to Tehran, during which he emphasized the need to ensure the safety of Iranian nationals, including students and diplomats, as well as the headquarters of the Iranian Embassy in Kiev.

Alireza Haghighi said, “We are worried about the security and health of all Iranian nationals,” urging the Ukrainian government, through the ambassador, to consider all the necessary measures in that regard, including providing for the safe exit of Iranian nationals from the country.

The Foreign Ministry official called for the Ukrainian government to pave the way for the exit of Iranian nationals through the borders with neighboring countries, including Poland, given the closure of Ukraine’s airspace.

For his part, Ukrainian Ambassador to Iran Sergey Burdilyak reassured that his government will adopt all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of Iranian nationals and their exit, if possible, from Ukraine.

Also on Thursday evening, Haghighian met with the Russian ambassador to Tehran for talks on the latest developments in the conflict zone.

Iran’s foreign minister's assistant and director general of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe department of the foreign ministry has called on Poland’s ambassador to facilitate the transfer of Iranians living in Ukraine. Habibollahzadeh made the call during a meeting with the Polish envoy in Tehran during which they two held talks over Warsaw’s assistance to get the Iranians out of Ukraine.

Referring to the measures by Iran’s embassy in Warsaw, Habibollahzadeh stressed the importance of the safe return of Iranian citizens living in Ukraine. He expressed hope that the repatriation of the Iranians would be accelerated with the cooperation of the Polish government to provide the necessary facilities and permits.

The Polish ambassador to Tehran also spoke about the increase in the number of Ukrainians and foreigners entering Poland and the efforts made by the Polish government in this regard. The envoy said his country is ready to help the Iranians who intend to leave Ukraine through Poland.

In this regard, the two diplomats agreed to continue working contacts to make the necessary arrangements.

The issue of Iranian nationals in Ukraine was also present in the phone conversation Amir Abdollahian had with his Slovak counterpart Ivan Korcok.
Amir Abdollahian spoke about the situation of Iranians living in Ukraine, bilateral relations and international issues of mutual concern. Referring to the good relations between the two countries and their favorable cooperation in various fields, he said, “We are ready to expand ties between the two countries in all fields.”

Regarding the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, Amir Abdollahian said, "We hope that this crisis will be resolved politically and peacefully."

The top diplomat added that a group of Iranian citizens residing in Ukraine have applied to leave this country and we call on the Slovak government to cooperate and provide assistance to Iranian citizens so that they leave Ukraine for Slovakia visa free.

Amir Abdollahian noted that Iran plans to transfer its citizens to the Islamic Republic by air after entering neighboring countries of Ukraine, including Slovakia. Slovakia’s foreign minister for his part expressed pleasure with the development of cooperation between the two countries at various levels and fields, announcing the holding of the joint economic commission of the two countries in the near future, which was welcomed by Amir Abdollahian.

Ivan Korcok further welcomed the proposal of the Iranian foreign minister, saying Slovakia is ready to cooperate and assist Iranian citizens to leave Ukraine through the Slovak border visa free.

He stressed that Iranian nationals can enter Slovakia via Ukraine’s border and then travel to Iran.