New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday expressed gratitude to his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen from Iran amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
“Thank FM Ararat Mirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India,” Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.
Armenia has been assisting in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran.
On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that more than 1,200 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran, with 996 of them moving through Armenia.
Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the evacuation is being carried out through Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the central government closely coordinating efforts on the ground.
According to Jaiswal, “Some 1,200 Indian nationals have been evacuated, of which 845 are students.” He added, “996 moved to Armenia and 204 to Azerbaijan, from where they are being assisted by the MEA.”
The spokesperson said the ministry has been working closely with Indian missions and local authorities in both Armenia and Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of citizens. He noted that arrangements are in place to assist evacuees in transit before they are brought back to India.
More than 600,000 passengers have returned to India amid the evolving security situation in West Asia.
Aseem R. Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “Since February 28, around 624,000 passengers have traveled from the region to India. Airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights based on operational and safety considerations between the UAE and India. Around 90 flights are expected to operate from the UAE to various destinations in India today.”
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 with U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation that has escalated tensions across the region and disrupted airspace in the Gulf. (ANI)
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