Foreign Affairs Minister Emil Hurezeanu received on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) the Romanian citizen repatriated from Yemen, where he was held in captivity for a year and two months after the ship on board of which he was working was captured by Houthi rebels.

During the meeting, also attended by the Romanian sailor’s wife, the minister of Foreign Affairs inquired about his state of health and how he managed to cope with the extremely difficult conditions imposed by the long period spent in captivity, informs a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

The extremely open dialogue highlighted, at the same time, the continuous efforts of the Inter-institutional Crisis Cell, which has been working around the clock to repatriate the Romanian citizen since his kidnapping in November 2023. Moreover, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Crisis Cell, who have maintained permanent contact with his wife, as well as with the relevant authorities that contributed to the success of the release operation, the cited source specifies.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Emil Hurezeanu emphasized the priority given by the MAE to the crisis, stressing that the release and repatriation were possible thanks to the support of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) and the other institutions of the Crisis Cell.

The minister also recalled the important role of external partners, especially the authorities of the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Bulgaria, whose involvement was substantial in solving this extremely difficult case.

AGERPRES