Serbians to be evacuated on Wednesday

B92 has learned that the Libyan authorities have allowed Serbian planes to land in Tripoli in order to start flying Serbian citizens out of that country. However, the three planes will not take off before Wednesday morning. Serbians to be evacuated on Wednesday It has in the meantime emerged that there are over 1,000 Serbian nationals in Libya, and that the number is not final. Evacuations of Serbians are planned from the towns of Tripoli, Ras Lanuf and Benghazi, using aircraft and ships, and in cooperation with other counties. Earlier on Tuesday, reports said that Serbia had received oral permission from the Libyan authorities to start evacuating its citizens from this north African country, said reports. MFA State Secretary Mirko Stefanovic told the news agency that Serbia is cooperating with other countries in planning ways to evacuate Serbians from other parts of Libya. The Serbian government has set up a team tasked with organizing the evacuation. Most are workers employed in the country where violence has escalated in the past days. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Tuesday that the planes that will evacuate Serbian citizens from Libya are ready for take off and waiting for landing permits. Dacic said that Serbian citizens should be evacuated today, as the situation in Libya is getting worse by the hour with confrontation escalating between the protesters, who are calling for the resignation of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi, and his security forces. One of the obstacles was removed when Libyan authorities abolished visas required to leave the country, Dacic, who is heading the evacuation team formed by the Serbian government, told B92. "The Libyan authorities have said they will not require exit visas, which means that problem is solved. However, there is another problem - many of our citizens working there do not have their passports on them - they are stored at their companies' headquarters. We will fly over all of the necessary papers so that they can leave Libya," Dacic explained. He said that all Serbian citizens who are currently in Libya should turn to the Serbian embassy in Tripoli. According to Dacic, Jat Airways planes will fly to Libya as long as there are Serbian citizens remaining in the country, but the evacuation team is also in touch with other countries which are evacuating their own citizens and are willing to help Serbia. He said Serbia might also take advantage of the ship that Turkey will send on Thursday to evacuate its citizens from Benghazi. The Serbian citizens who are far from the major cities where the airports are located are advised to notify the Embassy of their location through the internet or Skype. The Serbian authorities will employ alternative methods in the evacuation of these citizens, Dacic said. Although information is hard to verify, reports suggest that no Serbians were harmed or killed thus far during the violence in Libya. Scenes from Tripoli (Tanjug)

Serbians to be evacuated on Wednesday

It has in the meantime emerged that there are over 1,000 Serbian nationals in Libya, and that the number is not final.

Evacuations of Serbians are planned from the towns of Tripoli, Ras Lanuf and Benghazi, using aircraft and ships, and in cooperation with other counties.

Earlier on Tuesday, reports said that Serbia had received oral permission from the Libyan authorities to start evacuating its citizens from this north African country, said reports.

MFA State Secretary Mirko Stefanović told the news agency that Serbia is cooperating with other countries in planning ways to evacuate Serbians from other parts of Libya.

The Serbian government has set up a team tasked with organizing the evacuation.

Most are workers employed in the country where violence has escalated in the past days.

Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said Tuesday that the planes that will evacuate Serbian citizens from Libya are ready for take off and waiting for landing permits.

Dačić said that Serbian citizens should be evacuated today, as the situation in Libya is getting worse by the hour with confrontation escalating between the protesters, who are calling for the resignation of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi, and his security forces.

One of the obstacles was removed when Libyan authorities abolished visas required to leave the country, Dačić, who is heading the evacuation team formed by the Serbian government, told B92.

"The Libyan authorities have said they will not require exit visas, which means that problem is solved. However, there is another problem - many of our citizens working there do not have their passports on them - they are stored at their companies' headquarters. We will fly over all of the necessary papers so that they can leave Libya," Dačić explained.

He said that all Serbian citizens who are currently in Libya should turn to the Serbian embassy in Tripoli.

According to Dačić, Jat Airways planes will fly to Libya as long as there are Serbian citizens remaining in the country, but the evacuation team is also in touch with other countries which are evacuating their own citizens and are willing to help Serbia.

He said Serbia might also take advantage of the ship that Turkey will send on Thursday to evacuate its citizens from Benghazi.

The Serbian citizens who are far from the major cities where the airports are located are advised to notify the Embassy of their location through the internet or Skype. The Serbian authorities will employ alternative methods in the evacuation of these citizens, Dačić said.

Although information is hard to verify, reports suggest that no Serbians were harmed or killed thus far during the violence in Libya.