Baku: Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has initiated efforts to evacuate approximately 200 Azerbaijani citizens from Qatar due to ongoing military escalations in the Middle East. Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that measures have been in place since the onset of the conflict to ensure the safety of Azerbaijani nationals in the region.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Azerbaijan has already successfully evacuated a number of its citizens from affected areas. On March 4, a special flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines transported 193 Azerbaijani citizens, along with 9 ethnic Azerbaijanis holding Georgian citizenship and 5 with Russian citizenship, from Jeddah back to Azerbaijan. Additionally, regular flights from the United Arab Emirates have facilitated the return of 257 Azerbaijani citizens on March 3, with more flights scheduled from Dubai.

The evacuation of citizens currently in Qatar is being organized through a special flight coordinated by Azerbaijan, with the plan to navigate through Saudi Arabia due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Concurrently, Azerbaijani citizens in Iran have been advised to use the Azerbaijani and Turkish land borders to exit the country, resulting in 260 citizens crossing the Azerbaijani border to date.

Hajizada emphasized the importance of vigilance among Azerbaijani citizens in the region, urging them to stay informed about security developments, adhere to local authority instructions, avoid crowded areas, and enhance personal security measures.