Japan’s Hayashi visits facility for Ukrainian evacuees in Poland

Jiji Press

13:02 JST, April 3, 2022

WARSAW (Jiji Press) — Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Saturday visited a facility in the Polish capital of Warsaw where some 1,000-2,000 evacuees from Ukraine are staying.

During the visit, Hayashi worked to learn about the situation surrounding Ukrainian evacuees who fled from Russia’s invasion of their country, in order to better support them.

People who fled to Poland to escape the war in Ukraine totaled over 2.4 million as of Friday.

Hayashi is visiting Poland as a special envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Together with Gen Nakatani, special adviser to the prime minister for international human rights issues, and other officials, Hayashi toured the facility crammed with makeshift beds. The foreign minister asked questions to a facility staff member, including one asking what was lacking the most. He also spoke with some evacuees.

Hayashi then met with officials of international and nongovernmental organizations to exchange opinions on support measures.

Also, he visited the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers in Warsaw and laid flowers to mourn for the war dead.

On Sunday, Hayashi will visit the Japanese government’s liaison office in Rzeszow in southeastern Poland and go to an area that borders Ukraine.

During his stay in Poland through Tuesday, Hayashi will also have talks with senior officials of the country’s government.

Arrangements are underway to let evacuees wishing to come to Japan board Hayashi’s flight back to the Asian country on a Japanese government plane.