2,000 foreigners, refugees from Afghanistan evacuated through Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has been cooperating with a number of countries to evacuate their citizens from Afghanistan, and over the past few days 1,982 people have been evacuated through Uzbekistan, Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Friday, reported Xinhua.

"Currently, joint efforts are being made with such states as Germany, Russia, USA, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Kazakhstan with the provision of services for the use of airport infrastructure, permits for flying through the airspace, takeoff and landing, provision of the necessary technical and logistic assistance," it said.

The ministry said coordinated efforts were ensured together with foreign partners on orderly evacuation from Afghanistan and their transit through Uzbek territory, both citizens of foreign states and citizens of Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan has also sent back to Afghanistan 150 Afghan citizens who illegally crossed the Uzbek border seeking safety in a Uzbek border town after receiving security guarantees from the Taliban side.

"As a result of agreements reached with representatives of the Taliban leadership to prevent any measures of violence, persecution against this category of persons, 150 Afghan citizens were returned to their homeland of their own free will," the ministry said.