Joint press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport and Communications Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel: With care and coordinated action, we realize the return of our compatriots from Israel
08 October 2023 News.jpg)
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel, the President of the National Assembly Rosen Zhelyazkov and the Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly, Filiz Husmenova and Nikola Minchev, welcomed at Sofia Airport 92 Bulgarians and 1 Croat, who returned from Israel today, around 6 pm, on the government plane. The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov travelled on the plane together with our compatriots. At the government VIP were also the Deputy Minister of the Interior Ivelina Dundakova, Chief Commissioner Dimitar Kangaldzhiev, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior and Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, Director of the SDVR.
"I thank our compatriots for their patience and I am glad that they managed to return safely to Bulgaria from Israel with the help of the special humanitarian flight organised by the Bulgarian government," Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel said at a briefing at the airport.
"Caring for our compatriots and coordinated action - this was the driving force behind the organisation of today's flight", said Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel.
She specified that since yesterday, on her orders, an emergency staff has been activated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to identify and contact Bulgarians in Israel who need assistance.
"At the moment there are no reports of any injured Bulgarians and we are in constant contact with the Bulgarian ambassador to Israel, Slavena Gergova. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Israel, Slavena Gergova and the team of our Embassy in Tel Aviv. I would also like to thank the Situation Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Director Tania Dimitrova for ensuring the safe movement of our compatriots to the airport and for their overall commitment," said Maria Gabriel.
The deputy prime minister has already held talks with the Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen, and expressed Bulgaria's solidarity with Israel.
Gabriel stressed that efforts continue to assist the Bulgarians who are still in Israel and have expressed their willingness to help. She said that the necessary organizational efforts had been made to organize a second flight that night and more than 80 Bulgarians had signed up for it.
Minister Gvozdeykov explained that the government Airbus is ready to make a second flight to Israel. "A few minutes ago, we received permission for the flight to Tel Aviv," the Transport Minister said. Georgi Gvozdeykov stressed that thanks to the good synchronization between the institutions Bulgaria is the first country to take its citizens out on an organized mission. "There has been a wish from other member states to transport their citizens, so if possible we will do that as well," Minister Gvozdeykov said.
Our embassy in Tel Aviv has opened two emergency telephone lines:
+ 972 54,764 0089
+ 972 54,595 4379
Data on Bulgarian persons in Israel can also be sent electronically to [email protected] , as well as to the Situation Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
email: [email protected]
tel: +359 2,948 24 04
+359 2,971 38 56
More photos
