Agencies ready to ensure safety for Vietnamese in Middle East: spokeswoman

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)

At the ministry’s regular press conference on January 9, responding to a question about Vietnam’s comment on the recent US-Iran tensions, Hang stated: “Vietnam is concerned about the recent tensions in the Middle East. We call on all relevant parties to exercise self-restraint, avoid escalating tensions, not use force, protect civilians, and resolve disagreements though dialogue and peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law for the sake of peace, stability in the region and the world.”

She added to ensure security and safety for Vietnamese citizens in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry on January 8 advised Vietnamese against going to the region’s countries that could be influenced by conflicts. It also recommended that the citizens present in the affected countries should avoid going to the areas those countries have warned against travel to, and follow local authorities’ instructions to ensure the safety of their lives and property.

The Foreign Ministry has publicised the citizen protection hotlines of all representative agencies of Vietnam in the region so that people can contact when necessary. It has also ordered the representative agencies in the Middle East and domestic relevant sides to keep a close watch on the situation and ready citizen protection measures in case of necessity, she said.

Regarding the farm fire in Ramenskoye town in the suburbs of Moscow, Russia, the spokeswoman noted the Foreign Ministry has continually updated information. Its Consular Department and the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia are promptly and closely coordinating with authorised agencies of both countries to gather information from Vietnam and the Vietnamese community in Russia to support the identification of victims. They are also making preparations to protect citizens and deal with relevant procedures in case there are Vietnamese among the dead.

On January 8, the embassy sent a diplomatic note to the Russian ministries of foreign affairs and internal affairs and the internal affairs agency of Ramenskoye, asking for the investigation to be accelerated, information about the results of the identification of the dead to be announced soon, and active treatment for the Vietnamese woman currently in hospital, Hang added.