Ministries working on repatriation of nationals from UAE, giving priority to vulnerable persons and families with children

RIGA - The Foreign Ministry and the Transport Ministry are drafting a Cabinet of Ministers decree on organizing flights by the national airline airBaltic for repatriation of Latvian nationals from the United Arab Emirates, according to the Foreign Ministry's post to social media.

Vulnerable persons and families with children will be given priority during the evacuation process.

The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that the security situation in Egypt currently remains unchanged. Travel advisories issued by the US Embassy in Egypt, Latvian and other European Union member countries, have not changed.

The ministry points out that it is difficult to predict future developments in the Middle East, therefore each traveler should carefully assess the necessity of traveling there. Although Egyptian airspace remains open, closures of other countries' airspace may result in unplanned changes to flights to and from Egypt.

As the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, 676 nationals have registered short-term trips to the region in the consular register. The largest number - 576 - are in the United Arab Emirates, 30 in Israel, 25 in Qatar, 21 in Oman, eight in Kuwait, six in Saudi Arabia and five each in Bahrain and Jordan.

The airspace over the Middle East, with the exception of Oman, remains closed and regular air alerts are issued, the ministry said.

The ministry notes that other EU Member States are also actively exploring ways to assist their nationals to leave the region, prioritizing those most in need, such as those with health problems.

The Foreign Ministry advises travelers to register in the Consular Register on the Latvija.gov.lv portal or in the Celo Drosi (Travel Safely) app. In case of an emergency, residents abroad are advised to immediately contact the duty officer of the Foreign Ministry's Consular Department by phone, +371 26337711, or email, [email protected].

Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said on social media on Wednesday that she had been in contact with Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity), Transport Minister Atis Svinka (Progressives) and the Latvian Embassy in the UAE since yesterday about the possibilities of bringing Latvian residents home.

It is important now to wait for a safe window in air traffic in the UAE and the region, said the prime minister.

Silina also notes that, although the UAE president has assured her in a phone call yesterday of his sincere concern for the safety of Latvian nationals, the prime minister is aware that many Latvian nationals in the region are anxious to return home.

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched a large-scale offensive against Iran, which has responded with missile and drone strikes on US bases in several Gulf states.