Hungary to send evacuation mission to return citizens from Afghanistan

Hungary Deputy foreign minister Levente Magyar

 

Hungary said on Wednesday it had organised the evacuation of a group of 26 Hungarian nationals working as contractors from Afghanistan and they would return to Hungary shortly on a flight organised by another country.

Hungary is also sending its own evacuation mission to Afghanistan to help other Hungarians still in Kabul, deputy foreign minister Levente Magyar told a news conference.

"We are now relying on the goodwill of those Talibs against whom we have been fighting a war for 20 years," Magyar said.

"Our goal is to help Hungarian citizens who got stuck there return home, this is our primary obligation now."

Magyar declined to give details about the Hungarian evacuation, citing security reasons.

Magyar said the Hungarian government was also willing to help a "few dozens" of Afghans and their families who had helped Hungarian forces in Afghanistan but firmly rejected the idea of accepting further asylum seekers who want to leave the country.