Kyiv reaches agreement with airlines to evacuate Ukrainians from Sri Lanka

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – The Ukrainian government has reached an agreement with Fly Dubai and Air Arabia to evacuate Ukrainians in Sri Lanka, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

“I think that we will solve the situation with the Ukrainians who are in Sri Lanka. There is an agreement with the airlines that brought them there: these are Fly Dubai and Air Arabia. There is an agreement with SkyUp that it is ready to backstop,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine on March 19, Kyiv Post reported.

In addition, Kuleba informed that on March 18 he had talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Peter Szijjarto and agreed that Budapest would transit Ukrainians from Austria to Ukraine who stuck on the border between Austria and Hungary. “But the transit will be controlled: from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in order to minimize contacts and so that these ‘caravans’ don’t clog the way,” he explained.

According to the Foreign Minister, the hardest thing is to organize the evacuation of Ukrainians from Latin America, but he promised to return them to their homeland.

“In fact, the hardest thing will be with the Ukrainians in Latin America. I have publicly promised to take everyone out and I am determined to keep my word. We have groups in Chile, in Mexico. That is, the main problem is remote corners, small groups. But all the same it is necessary to return our citizens,” added Kuleba.

He also drew attention to the fact that it would be necessary to tighten control instruments every day.

“And this means that we must first provide the domestic market with tests as much as possible and all means of protection, and then, of course, give these things to other countries. There are an infinite number of logistical and financial issues where to buy and receive this all, but we are doing all these things,” the minister said.