Nawrocki told reporters he would support the request.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo: Przemysław Keler/KPRP
“I was waiting for such a move and there is no doubt that I will approve it,” Nawrocki said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said earlier that the military evacuation would focus on people requiring medical assistance and those whose health or lives were at risk.
He said Poland’s armed forces were fully prepared to support the foreign ministry in securing the safety of Polish citizens in the Middle East.
The operation could proceed once all necessary procedures are completed and flight safety is ensured, he added.
Other Polish citizens are being evacuated using civilian means of transport, including travel agencies, the Polish Tourism Organisation and the national carrier LOT, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
Tusk said earlier on Wednesday that a plane sent to pick up Polish citizens in need of medical assistance was expected to land in Oman within hours.
Sports and Tourism Minister Jakub Rutnicki said 574 Polish citizens had returned from the Middle East since Tuesday.
The evacuation efforts follow a sharp escalation in the region after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, according to officials.
Tehran retaliated with attacks that included strikes on US bases in the region, prompting many airlines to cancel flights.
Tusk said he had tasked Rutnicki with coordinating an interministerial team set up at the foreign ministry to address the situation of Polish citizens in Middle Eastern countries.
The team, which includes officials from several ministries, met with the prime minister in Warsaw on Wednesday.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP