Jyotiraditya Scindia meets Indian envoys in Romania, Moldova on evacuation
Highlight
- The borders of Moldova have been opened for incoming Indian students and further talks are on
- Scindia also met and interacted with Indian students waiting for their flights at Bucharest airport
- He assured them of their early departure from the Romanian capital.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is overseeing the evacuation efforts of Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine as a special envoy appointed by the Government of India, on Wednesday (local time) the Indian Ambassador to Romania and Moldova, Rahul Srivastava on operational issues. met to discuss. For evacuation and flight planning from Bucharest and Suceva in the coming days.
“Met Indian Ambassador to Romania and Moldova, Mr. Rahul Srivastava ji and discussed operational issues for evacuation and flight planning from Bucharest and Suseva in the coming days. #OperationGanga in full gear!” Scindia tweeted.
The ministers informed that the borders of Moldova have been opened for incoming Indian students and talks are on to arrange travel to Bucharest for onward flight to India.
He tweeted, “Borders of Moldova have been opened for incoming Indian students. Proper shelter and food will be arranged. Negotiations are on to arrange travel to Bucharest for onward flight to India.” “
Earlier in the day, Scindia, who will oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian nationals in Romania and Moldova, met and interacted with Indian students waiting for their flights at the Bucharest airport and assured them of their speedy departure from the Romanian capital.
“Met and interacted with Indian students waiting for their flights at Bucharest airport. Overwhelmed by their concern and concern amidst difficult times. However, assured them of their speedy departure from Bucharest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the whole India has got their back!” He tweeted.
Operation Ganga and Indian Air Force stepped up
After Russian forces launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, the Indian government launched ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back stranded Indian citizens from conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated free of cost under the ‘Operation Ganga’ mission.
The first such evacuation flight carrying 219 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine landed in Mumbai on 26 February.
Many such flights have landed in India so far.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also joined the government’s evacuation efforts as its C-17 transport aircraft took off from Hindon airbase near New Delhi on Wednesday morning for Romania.
24×7 control centers have been set up to assist in evacuating Indian nationals through border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. A new route through Moldova has been opened and a Foreign Ministry team is also there and operational. The team will help evacuate the Indians via Romania.
A dedicated Twitter account (@opganga) has been set up to aid Operation Ganga. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against visiting any border posts at border posts without prior coordination with government officials.
To activate the evacuation efforts, the Indian government appointed four special envoys who would oversee the evacuation operations of Indians stranded in Ukraine’s neighboring countries. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee the evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, General (Retd) VK Singh in Poland, while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is going to Romania and will also visit Moldova. ,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has so far held several meetings to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. He has also said that India will help those from neighboring countries and developing countries who are stuck in Ukraine and can ask for help.
An Indian student, Naveen Shekharappa, was killed after shelling in the area in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday. He was a resident of Haveri district of Karnataka.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized separate regions of Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities. Several countries, including the UK, US, Canada and the European Union, have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow.
These countries have also pledged to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia.
According to the UN refugee agency, fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country’s borders.
On 28 February talks were held between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in the Gomel region of Belarus and another round of talks is scheduled for 2 March.
(with inputs from ANI)