ID :
175744
Sat, 04/16/2011 - 08:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/175744
The shortlink copeid
Iran airlifts Lebanese nationals out of Ivory Coast: envoy
TEHRAN, April 16 (MNA) – Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon has announced that the first group of Lebanese nationals, who were stranded in Ivory Coast following the outbreak of violent clashes between rival political groups, have been airlifted out of the crisis-hit country by an Iranian airliner.
The first group of Lebanese nationals living in Ivory Coast was transferred to Beirut by an Iranian plane,” Ambassador Ghazanfar Roknabadi said on Thursday.
“Iran feels obligated to help the Lebanese people and will continue to transfer the Lebanese nationals from Ivory Coast,” he added.
On April 11, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, during a telephone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Ali al-Shami, expressed Iran’s readiness to airlift Lebanese nationals out of Ivory Coast to their country.
“A number of Iranian airliners are ready to move Lebanese nationals from Ivory Coast to Beirut,” Salehi told al-Shami.
Most of the 9,000 Lebanese nationals who live in Ivory Coast want to return to Lebanon for safety concerns after Ivory Coast was plunged into a political turmoil, but the Lebanese government which itself is faced with a political crisis is not able to help the Lebanese stranded in Ivory Coast travel back home.
The clashes in Ivory Coast erupted after President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to the internationally-recognized winner of the November presidential election, Alassane Ouattara.
The first group of Lebanese nationals living in Ivory Coast was transferred to Beirut by an Iranian plane,” Ambassador Ghazanfar Roknabadi said on Thursday.
“Iran feels obligated to help the Lebanese people and will continue to transfer the Lebanese nationals from Ivory Coast,” he added.
On April 11, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, during a telephone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Ali al-Shami, expressed Iran’s readiness to airlift Lebanese nationals out of Ivory Coast to their country.
“A number of Iranian airliners are ready to move Lebanese nationals from Ivory Coast to Beirut,” Salehi told al-Shami.
Most of the 9,000 Lebanese nationals who live in Ivory Coast want to return to Lebanon for safety concerns after Ivory Coast was plunged into a political turmoil, but the Lebanese government which itself is faced with a political crisis is not able to help the Lebanese stranded in Ivory Coast travel back home.
The clashes in Ivory Coast erupted after President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to the internationally-recognized winner of the November presidential election, Alassane Ouattara.
