ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established round-the-clock coordination with relevant state authorities and foreign governments in light of the escalating military and political situation in the Middle East, the ministry’s press office reported on March 1 on Telegram.
No information has been reported regarding casualties among Kazakh citizens.
“We urge citizens to remain calm, comply with the requirements and recommendations of local authorities, avoid high-risk areas, and show understanding regarding any restrictions imposed,” the statement reads.
Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions have been put on high alert, and consular and legal assistance is being provided on-site.
The lists of citizens in the region, including transit zones, are being updated. Information on the number of Kazakh citizens in the escalation zone is still being collected.
Diplomatic staff, in coordination with tourism companies, are assisting nationals who are currently staying at airports and in transit areas. The ministry is also working on potential evacuation measures and routes from escalation zones. Further clarifications will be provided on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the websites of Kazakhstan’s foreign missions abroad, and through notifications in the Kaspi Travel app.
The Ministry of Transport held a meeting of its operational headquarters to discuss measures to evacuate citizens from the Middle Eastern countries. The headquarters includes representatives of the Civil Aviation Committee, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, Kazaeronavigatsia, Air Astana, Fly Arystan, SCAT, and VietJet Kazakhstan air companies.
Airspace is either closed or remains unstable in several countries, including Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iraq and Lebanon. As a result, 14 flights from these countries to Kazakhstan were canceled on Feb. 28 and 12 flights were canceled on March 1.
Additionally, 13 flights from Middle Eastern countries are scheduled for March 2. Airlines expressed readiness to provide aircraft for return flights once the airspace of these countries reopens. Further actions will be developed in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The updated information is available on the ministry’s Telegram account.
Earlier, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent personal messages to the leaders of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, expressing his solidarity with the peoples of those countries. Tokayev “strongly condemned all military actions aimed at undermining the sovereignty and security” of states that are friendly and brotherly to Kazakhstan.
