Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - From the date of the decision to terminate Uzbekistan’s international air, road and rail links with foreign countries, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Moscow has taken a series of measures to assist fellow citizens in difficult situations.

In particular, a 24-hour Operational Headquarters was created, the issue of extending the period of temporary stay and labor patents of our compatriots on the territory of the Russian Federation without leaving the country was worked out, work was done with the relevant Russian ministries and departments on the subject of not evicting Uzbek students from hostels of Russian universities despite the quarantine measures, from the Russian side received test systems for the detection of COVID-19 virus RNA. Five charter flights and three railway trains were organized for the export of fellow citizens from Russia.

The Embassy is constantly monitoring the situation with the Uzbeks who could not fly to their homeland and remain at Moscow airports. Embassy diplomats visit airports daily to study the situation on the ground and assist our citizens with meals there.

Based on the results of the negotiations held by the Embassy, the management of Vnukovo Airport allocated terminal B for the temporary stay of our compatriots, where there is a medical center, bathrooms, hot meals and furniture equipment are installed.

Unfortunately, despite all the persuasion and efforts of the diplomats, the specially created zone in the terminal “B” is used exclusively for daily meals, and registration desks continue to be the place of permanent residence of fellow citizens.

In order to create amenities for compatriots, the Embassy worked out the issue of providing them with temporary housing at the expense of funds allocated by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan. To date, seats have already been prepared for about 150 people at Vnukovo Airport (the number is constantly changing) with three meals a day, about which fellow citizens were promptly notified. At the same time, this proposal of the Embassy did not find a response among compatriots who preferred to continue to stay at the ticket office in anticipation of charter flights.

The embassy reaffirms its readiness to provide 150 fellow citizens with temporary housing at the Vnukovo airport before organizing new charters and reiterates their request to provide their data (passport data and contacts) to the representative office of Uzbekistan Airways JSC at Vnukovo airport for their subsequent posting.

At the same time, in case of an increase in the number of citizens with air tickets who, due to the circumstances, cannot return to their homeland, the Embassy will take measures to accommodate them in advance.