Summary

Romania's foreign minister urges Middle East ceasefire as thousands seek repatriation Romanian foreign minister Oana Ţoiu stated during an interview for the Polish media that European diplomacy should insist on “a negotiated temporary ceasefire” in the Middle East to allow the evacuation of civilians. Her statements come as about 3,000 Romanian citizens are asking the authorities for help with returning to the country after the outbreak of war in the Middle East. According to the Foreign Ministry, about 16,000 Romanians are in the wider region. Diplomatic efforts Minister Ţoiu described the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as “a turning point,” but argued that the priority of European governments is to defuse the conflict and protect civilians, including helping their own citizens leave the region. She said she is aware of criticisms that the recent actions of the US and Israel may not fully comply with “international norms,” but stated that diplomacy should focus on preventing further loss of human lives and on restoring a “predictable framework for the future” for regional security. The Romanian minister made an official visit to Poland on Tuesday, March 3, to meet counterpart Radosław Sikorski and discuss the crisis in Iran. Her statements come as European leaders assess the consequences of joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the risk of reprisals, including potential cyberattacks, according to a US threat assessment. Ţoiu said that the pressure on Western attention and resources is “undeniable” and represents a direct risk for Ukraine, giving Europe an additional reason to push for defusing the conflict. She also argued that the unrest in Iran could reduce its capacity to support Russia, noting that Shahed-type drones used against Ukraine rely on Iranian design and cooperation with Moscow. Difficult repatriations Two flights organized from Dubai to Romania are scheduled to depart on Wednesday evening, March 4. Roughly 500 Romanians are in Dubai, a city that was targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes. The two flights, operated by a Dubai-based airline, are scheduled for 6:35 PM and 3:30 AM. Reissued tickets have been sent to passengers for these flights. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises those who have received boarding passes to go to Dubai Airport following airline instructions, after checking security conditions and confirming with the airline that the flight has not been canceled. Similar flights had been scheduled before, but most were canceled for security reasons. According to the ministry, there are no negotiations for special flight corridors from the United Arab Emirates to Romania. The only criterion for operating flights remains security. On the other hand, airport sources state that flight slots and corridors are allocated to countries based on priorities and bilateral relations. Ministry spokesman Andrei Țărnea warned on Digi24 that even if a flight is scheduled, there is no certainty that it will take place. “At the moment, the airspace of most countries in the region is closed. Consequently, there are no flights to Romania. There have been sporadic flights from the United Arab Emirates, particularly from Dubai and Jordan, to Europe, but these are opened or canceled one by one. We are in a volatile and difficult situation,” he said. Hikes in ticket prices Few seats are left on planes leaving the Middle East for Europe, and prices have soared since the US and Israel began their bombing campaign of Iran. On the Dubai–Bucharest route, a ticket for a single person costs AED 4,730 (EUR 1,180) in Economy and AED 8,710 (EUR 2,175) in Business, according to the prices displayed for available departures, as reported by the media. Travel insurance policies usually do not cover flight cancellations caused by conflicts or airspace closures. In many cases, additional costs for rerouting or price differences remain the responsibility of passengers. Meanwhile, back in Romania, the government is weighing the issue of costs. Government sources cited by Euronews Romania claimed that prime minister Ilie Bolojan was initially not in favor of the Romanian state covering the costs of bringing Romanians home, arguing that they chose to travel to these areas. He reconsidered his position later on. However, it is not excluded that some citizens will have to pay for their tickets, with possible reimbursement mechanisms to be established later. (Photo source: Ragsac19|Dreamstime.com)