Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said today that remaining 16 Georgian citizens stuck in Kabul have been evacuated from Afghanistan.
“Our citizens are safe; they are on board of a plane and will soon arrive in Georgia,” PM Garibashvili wrote on his Facebook page.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili thanked the UK, Turkey and the United States that “helped with their evacuation.” “With the situation still very concerning, I express my solidarity with our partners handling the evacuation process.”
Earlier, a Hungarian plane evacuated six Georgian nationals from Kabul.
- 23 Georgians Stuck in Kabul as Taliban Takes Control
- Hungary Helps Evacuate Six Georgians from Kabul
Initially, on August 16, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khvtisiashvili spoke of 23 Georgian citizens being stranded in Kabul, adding that Georgian citizens were former soldiers serving as contract employees in Canadian and U.S. companies.
Later authorities said altogether 22 Georgians have been seeking to evacuate from Afghanistan amid Taliban’s takeover.
The Taliban captured Kabul facing virtually no resistance on August 15, as the western-backed government opted to surrender rather than to fight. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
The NATO Allies decided in April to begin withdrawing the Resolute Support Mission forces from Afghanistan starting May. Launched on May 21, Georgia completed withdrawing its troops stationed in Afghanistan on June 28.
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