UAE offers to fly stranded Indians: Ambassador
By AIR Desk
The UAE has offered to fly stranded Indians and citizens of other countries, who wish to be repatriated, if they test negative for COVID-19, reported Gulf News on Saturday, April, 11.
In a conversation over the phone, the UAE’s Ambassador to India Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna told Gulf News on Saturday that the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) had sent out a “note verbale” in this regard to the embassies of all the countries in the UAE during the past couple of weeks.
“We have sent the note verbale and all the embassies have been informed including the Indian embassy in the UAE and even the Ministry of External Affairs in India,” Al Banna said.
Gulf News further reported that the envoy has said that the UAE has offered to test those who want to be evacuated.
“We are assuring everybody that we have the best of the facilities, the best of the testing centres and we have tested more than 500,000 people.”
“We are assuring them also of our cooperation to fly those who got stranded in the UAE for some reasons. Some got stuck because of the lockdown and closure of airports in India. Some were visiting the UAE.”
“We are offering our system and making sure that they are good [to fly] by doing all the tests and transport them according to the request of their own government.”
The envoy said those who test positive for COVID-19 will remain in the UAE.
“They will be treated in our home facilities.”
However, the envoy has said that he had not yet received any official response from India so far, reported Gulf News.
“I have seen the minister’s comments in the media. But nothing has come officially to us until now,” he said, referring to the remarks made by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan.
Gulf News had on Friday, April 10, reported that while addressing concerns of stranded Indians across the world, Muraleedharan stated that their repatriation can be considered only from May. Chartered flights by those who can afford it will also be considered only then.
Denying the possibility of a mass repatriation of overseas Indians, the minister said the government can only allow repatriation of stranded Indians on priority basis since arranging quarantining facilities for tens of thousands of Indians returning home is not practically possible.
Elderly citizens, pregnant women and those requiring treatment back home will be given priority, he said.
