Itamaraty sees conflict worsening in Ukraine and discloses new measures for Brazilians

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos França, sent this Wednesday (2) a telegram, to which the CNN had access to five embassies with new tasks to help Brazilians who are in Ukraine or who managed to leave the country.

According to the minister, this was done “given the worsening situation”. The telegraph circular was sent to the embassies of Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

“I give instructions. In light of the worsening situation in Ukraine, especially with the possibility of intensifying attacks on Kiev, and the need to adapt the Brazilian government’s actions to the new reality, I determined new measures, of an emergency nature, with the aim of intensifying the efforts of the Brazilian diplomacy in assisting Brazilian nationals who wish to leave Ukrainian territory or who are in transit in neighboring countries”, says the minister in the text obtained by the CNN.

France informs that it has decided to redirect the operations of the Brazilian embassy in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, to two other cities: Lviv, located in western Ukraine, where Brazilians trying to flee through Poland are heading, and Chisinau, in Moldova, where Brazilians pass who decide to leave Ukraine for Romania. Employees who are still in Kiev will work remotely.

For the government, this transfer will make it faster, more efficient and present the service to Brazilians who need support to leave Ukraine. Several Brazilians have expressed themselves on social networks about the difficulty of communicating with the Brazilian embassy.

In the new guidelines, the minister begs the embassies not to fail to make the necessary humanitarian expenses, such as helping Brazilians with transportation, food and accommodation. And that give visibility to all actions.

The chancellor also reiterates the role of the Working Group (WG) created recently to coordinate government actions, such as direct contact by phone and Whatsapp with Brazilians in the region.

In the case of Brazilian football players, it establishes dialogue with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The group is made up of a coordinator and diplomats from the consular, political, press, Brazilian Cooperation Agency, Special Advisory for Federative Relations, National Congress and a representative of the Ministry of Defense, who participate remotely.

Transfer

With the transfer of the embassy’s activities in Kiev, Itamaraty informs that Ambassador Norton de Andrade Mello Rapesta, Minister Counselor Elda Maria Gaspar Alvarez and Chancellery Officer Clovis Gomes de Aguiar Filho will travel to Chisinau, where the station communication equipment.

First Secretary André Tenório Mourão will remain in Lviv and will act in coordination with the task force created to support the withdrawal of Brazilians from the conflict zone. The chancellor informs in the telegram that measures are being taken regarding tickets and per diems for these employees.

“Combined with the detachments from the embassies in Warsaw and Bucharest, to which I am very grateful, the service posts in Lviv and Chisinau will make the Brazilian consular presence more intense and visible at key points on the routes out of Ukrainian territory”, says the minister. .

“To the other Posts, I ask you to mobilize all the material and human resources necessary for the best possible provision of support to Brazilians in their respective jurisdictions. With the budget reinforcements recently received, and in accordance with the guidelines already transmitted, I ask to rent transport, provide accommodation and food for the evacuated Brazilians, as well as any other expenses of a humanitarian nature that may be necessary. I also ask that updated information of immediate interest to nationals be made available on social networks and on the official page of the Post, especially contact details (phone on duty or e-mail) that allow easy access to consular services through the Post”.

Read the entire telegram obtained by CNN:

CIRCULAR-TELEGRAPHIC

Dispatched today, 2/3, to the Brazilian embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

Brazilians in Ukraine.
Consular assistance. New measures.

I give instructions. In light of the worsening situation in Ukraine, especially with the possibility of intensifying attacks on Kiev, and the need to adapt the Brazilian government’s actions to the new reality, I determined new measures, of an emergency nature, with the aim of intensifying the efforts of the Brazilian diplomacy in assisting Brazilian nationals who wish to leave Ukrainian territory or who are in transit in neighboring countries.

2.Like other chancelleries, I decided to redirect the embassy’s operations in Kiev to the cities of Lviv – where most of the nationals converge towards Poland -, and Chisinau, in Moldova, where a large part of the Brazilians who decide to leave Ukraine for Romania. The measure aims to make the service to Brazilians who need support from the Brazilian government to leave Ukraine faster, more efficient and present. Combined with the detachments from the embassies in Warsaw and Bucharest, to which I am very grateful, the service posts in Lviv and Chisinau will make the Brazilian consular presence more intense and visible at key points on the routes out of Ukrainian territory.

3.To this end, the head of the Post, Ambassador Norton de Andrade Mello Rapesta, the minister-counselor Elda Maria Gaspar Alvarez and the chancellery officer Clovis Gomes de Aguiar Filho must travel to Chisinau, where the communication equipment of the post; First Secretary André Tenório Mourão will remain in Lviv and will act in coordination with the task force I created to support the withdrawal of Brazilians from the conflict zone. Arrangements regarding tickets and per diems are being made. The local employees of Brasemb Kiev will remain in the capital, on a remote work basis, until security conditions allow the resumption of routine.

4. I ask the other Posts to mobilize all the material and human resources necessary for the best possible provision of support to Brazilians in their respective jurisdictions. With the budget reinforcements recently received, and in accordance with the guidelines already transmitted, I ask to rent transport, provide accommodation and food for the evacuated Brazilians, as well as any other expenses of a humanitarian nature that may be necessary. I beg, still,
make available on social networks and on the Post’s official page updated information of immediate interest to nationals, especially contact data (on duty telephone or e-mail) that allow easy access to consular services through the Post.

5. When appropriate, I ask to mobilize the honorary consulates of the jurisdiction to also extend a support network to Brazilians and facilitate crossings. It is essential that all the actions of the posts in the border region have visibility, in order to facilitate the identification, by the Brazilians, of the diplomatic presence and, thus, to speed up the provision of assistance.

6. The Brazilians in Ukraine Working Group will continue as the coordinating unit of the Brazilian government’s actions in the consular area and will provide specific guidance to the Posts. The WG is made up of a coordinator and diplomats from the consular, political, press, ABC, AFEPA areas and a representative of the Ministry of Defense (remote participation). Below, I list some of the measures being implemented by the WG:
– permanent contacts with the posts in the region and teams in the border regions, to monitor the situation of Brazilians;
– instructions on consular assistance to Brazilians who are in the conflict zone in Ukraine and to those who managed to leave the country;
– direct consular guidance and assistance to nationals in the region, via WhatsApp, telephone and email;
– direct contacts by phone or email with Brazilians, for confirmation and updating of data (location, number and profile of Brazilians in the groups, contact details, passport number);
– transmission of information to Brazilians (through WhatsApp, email and telephone contacts) about the security situation and conditions of transport in cities and regions in Ukraine and bordering countries;
– telephone contacts with Ukrainian and Romanian border agents with a view to facilitating the entry of Brazilians;
– follow-up, monitoring and logistical support for the establishment and operation of support offices in Chisinau/Moldova and support base in Lviv;
– cost of lodging for Brazilians in the Lviv region (75 km from the border with Poland);
– sending resources to support disadvantaged Brazilian nationals (small aid, resources for repatriation, rental of vehicles for transport, etc.);
– dialogue with the CBF to support Brazilian players;
– permanent dialogue with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health and ANVISA to organize an MRE-MD repatriation flight in an FAB aircraft (KC-390);
– production of two daily newsletters (morning and afternoon) on the political situation, consular assistance, humanitarian cooperation and the press. Summary of the bulletin is sent by AFEPA to sectors of the National Congress;
– elaboration of answers to questions sent by the press about the situation of Brazilians in Ukraine;
– preparation of an alert for the Consular Portal;
– preparation of responses to requests for information from the National Congress and entities on assistance provided to our nationals in the region;
– preparation of a summary on preparations for the provision of humanitarian cooperation to Ukraine; and
– exchange of daily information in a Latin American consular group and compilation of requests for support for the repatriation of nationals from third countries.