The Lithuanian 'Spartan' military plane left Lithuania on Friday, but due to the dangerous security situation in Lebanon, the plane's crew had to spend one night in Turkey.
"We flew from Šiauliai to Turkey. We spent the night there because we couldn't complete our mission in Beirut due to the continuous bombing. We flew to Beirut in the morning. We picked up the people and this procedure took about four to five hours at the airport until they did the paperwork. Then we we returned via Turkey and Hungary to Šiauliai," pilot Liudas Pestininkas said.
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly advised against traveling to Israel, Lebanon and Iran due to security risks in the region. Together with the evacuated Latvian nationals, 18 Lithuanian citizens also left Beirut.
The total number of Latvian nationals in Lebanon is around 80 people, stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most are staying or have moved to the northern part of the country.
"The number is variable because others also leave with available commercial flights or via water. Together with the Honorary Consul in Lebanon, we are following the situation. And as soon as another Latvian national with family members expresses a desire to return to Latvia, of course we will be in contact with our colleagues in the member states of the European Union and we will deal with this situation," stated the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diāna Eglīte.
Currently, another 7 Latvian nationals have expressed their wish for evacuation. However, it is still necessary to arrange the documentation for departure.
If a citizen of Latvia needs help, including informational assistance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites you to contact the Consular Department 24-hour phone number +371 26337711 or contact the Honorary Consul of Latvia in Lebanon by phone on +961 3224000.
