Moscow appreciated the "sensitivity" of the countries of the Middle East in helping the Russians

The countries of the Middle East are sensitive to requests related to the provision of assistance to Russian citizens. This was stated by the director of the Consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Klimov.

"Despite the difficult situation, the authorities of the countries of the region reacted sensitively to our requests related to the provision of assistance to Russian citizens who found themselves in their territory during this difficult period," the diplomat stated in an interview with TASS.

So, he pointed out, the Bahraini authorities announced a free extension for three months of visas expiring after February 28, which allowed Russians to leave the country without penalties.

"It is worth noting the cooperation of the leadership of Qatar and the capital emirate of the UAE — Abu Dhabi, by whose decision the host country assumed the costs associated with the forced stay in hotels of foreign citizens. At the request of the Russian Embassy in Qatar Airways performed three export flights to Moscow in Qatar, which were used by about 900 Russians," Klimov said.

According to him, Kuwait also "demonstrated a benevolent attitude in resolving a number of problematic situations, in particular in the prompt issuance of transit visas to our citizens without charging fees."

"The Saudi authorities assisted in the free issuance of transit visas according to the lists provided by the Russian Embassy in Riyadh, for example, in the case of the Zenit children's football team, which was at sports training camps in Qatar, leaving through the territory of the Kingdom. Citizens with identity documents valid for less than six months were allowed to cross the border. We are sincerely grateful to all our partners in the region for their help and attention to Russian citizens," Klimov said.