The Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu, had a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Hassan Shoukry, regarding the evacuation of Moldovan citizens from the Gaza Strip. The head of diplomacy in Chisinau stated that he has received assurances that when evacuation corridors are approved, the Egyptian authorities will allow our citizens to enter, and “the absence of a visa will not be a problem during transit through Egyptian territory.”
“I had a phone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Hassan Shoukry, during which we discussed the situation of Moldovan citizens in the Gaza Strip. I emphasized the importance of coordinating international humanitarian efforts to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians, including Moldovan citizens, through the Rafah crossing point, at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
My counterpart assured me that continuous negotiations are being held with all parties involved, and when circumstances allow, our consular representative will travel to Rafah to assist Moldovan citizens in being evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Cairo and subsequently to the Republic of Moldova. In this regard, our diplomats have provided the Egyptian authorities with a list of Moldovan citizens in the Gaza Strip who have requested evacuation. When evacuation corridors are approved, the Egyptian authorities will allow our citizens to enter. I was assured that the absence of a visa will not be a problem during transit through Egyptian territory,” wrote Nicu Popescu on his Telegram channel.
Nicu Popescu stated that diplomatic teams, especially the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the State of Israel and the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Turkey, and cumulatively in Egypt, are in constant communication with the accrediting authorities to assist citizens in need of evacuation.
On October 14th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration announced that they have contacted Moldovan citizens in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the conflict initiated by Hamas against Israel and have received 50 requests for assistance and potential evacuation.