Romania’s prime minister Florin Citu announced on Monday that 35 Romanian citizens were still in Afghanistan and that he proposed sending a military aircraft to evacuate them after the Taliban forces took over the capital Kabul.

Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis ordered the Air Force to get involved immediately and help evacuate the Romanian citizens from Afghanistan, the Presidency announced in a press release.

Some of the 35 Romanians who are still in the country are UN security personnel, while the others are working for a private security company, according to PM Citu, News.ro reported.

Western countries are still struggling to evacuate their citizens, mainly diplomatic and security personnel, from Afghanistan after the Taliban forces took over the capital and the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday, August 15. The speed of the Taliban offensive, which started after the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, has taken Western powers by surprise.

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)