“I am proud to say that in a situation of unprecedented chaos we have managed to create an effective, flexible evacuation mechanism that included Poland’s highest state authorities, our representative offices abroad, and most of all our rescue team in Kabul,” said the minister during Wednesday’s press conference on actions taken by Polish diplomatic and other services that organised the evacuation operation from Kabul.

During a meeting with the media at Jerzy Giedroyc’s hall, at the MFA’s headquarters, Minister Zbigniew Rau thanked the ministry’s employees that were engaged in providing assistance to Poles and citizens of other countries evacuated form Afghanistan. As a result of this action, a total of 52 military  and 15 civilian flights were organised, with 1,232 persons on board. “We carried out this rescue mission using our own, often improvised ad hoc methods, relying on our own staff and equipment, with security ensured by our own armed forces, intelligence and diplomatic services - both in Kabul and in Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.

During the conference, also the MFA’s employees who were directly engaged in evacuation both in Kabul and other places took the floor. They talked about the human and professional dimension of their work. Maciej Lang, Polish Ambassador to Romania who participated in Kabul operation said it was of a military and civilian nature. “Each of the evacuated persons had to be located and found in the crowd of several thousands that was teeming at the base’s gate. Then, the people had to be literally dragged onto the airport premises and put in a makeshift camp we had organised there. Afterwards, those people were evacuated to Uzbekistan in a military plane to be then transported to Warsaw by LOT’s aircraft,” explained the ambassador.

The head of the Polish MFA concluded the conference underscoring that we owe this unquestioned success of our partner allied mission in Afghanistan most of all to soldiers serving in our armed forces. “Taking part in the 20-year mission, Poland has achieved a spectacular success in its foreign and security policy. We have been recognised as a reliable, trustworthy partner in the North Atlantic Alliance,” highlighted the minister. “On this occasion let me pay tribute and express the highest appreciation to those who paid the highest price - with their own lives,” he added.

The conference was also an opportunity for the head of Polish diplomacy to present Łukasz Jasina, a new press spokesman to the MFA.

 

MFA Press Office

 

photo: Gabriel Piętka / MFA