Szijjarto: Evacuation of Hungarians from Kazakhstan ‘smooth’

Hungary’s diplomatic representations have been in contact with some 100 Hungarians in Kazakhstan since the beginning of unrest in that country, Szijjarto said, adding that altogether 12 of them asked for help to leave. Five people were rescued from Almaty last week, while six are being evacuated now and one person, holding dual citizenship, decided to stay in Almaty, Szijjarto said.

Under a recent agreement with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, the six Hungarians are leaving Almaty on board of a Russian aircraft. They will land near Moscow later in the day, and will be picked up by the Hungarian military plane, Szijjarto added.

Kazakhstan is a strategic partner, therefore Prime Minister Viktor Orban called Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev earlier on Monday and assured him of Hungary’s solidarity over victims of recent developments, Szijjarto said. Referring to the events, he said that  in Kazakhstan “an attempt was made to topple the constitutional order, and a well-coordinated attack was made against the Kazakh state itself”.

The Hungarian government offered its assistance to the Kazakh state last week, Szijjarto said, adding that on Tuesday foreign ministers of the Turkic Council, in which Hungary has observer status, will hold a video conference on the subject.