Citizen protection efforts underway in conflict zones of Middle East, Bangladesh, Myanmar

Deputy spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Đoàn Khắc Việt at the Thursday press briefing in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The foreign ministry has been issuing warnings and providing assistance to citizens relocating away from areas with volatile situations in conflict-affected regions of the Middle East, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Đoàn Khắc Việt made the statement in response to questions related to citizen protection efforts in these areas.

The situation of Vietnamese citizens in the Middle East, especially in Israel, Iran and Lebanon, remains safe and stable, Việt said.

Given the continued complexity of the situation in the Middle East, on August 5, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning for Vietnamese citizens to refrain from travelling to Lebanon, Iran and Israel at this time.

If citizens are currently in these areas, especially in Lebanon, they should evacuate themselves and their assets to third countries or return to Việt Nam and comply with the regulations and guidelines on safety and security measures as directed by local authorities, the deputy spokesperson remarked.

Similarly with Bangladesh, due to the complex developments on the protests against the Government, on August 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a warning, advising Vietnamese citizens to consider postponing their travel to Bangladesh at this time. Citizens in Bangladesh should be mindful of protecting themselves and their families and avoid crowded areas where protests might occur.

Concerning the protection of citizens in Myanmar, the foreign ministry continues to advise Vietnamese citizens to avoid going to areas with complex developments, such as Shan State and Kayin State in Myanmar, unless absolutely necessary. If citizens are in these areas, they should quickly arrange to evacuate themselves and their assets to safe areas or return to Việt Nam.

Việt also noted that following the directions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassies in the Middle East, Bangladesh, and Myanmar have requested local authorities to “ensure maximum safety for Vietnamese citizens.”

Additionally, Vietnamese representative offices need to proactively develop and implement plans to protect citizens if necessary.

Vietnamese representative offices should also maintain close communication, strengthen public information campaigns, and advise and assist citizens in moving to safer areas.

“We also advise our citizens in the aforementioned countries to regularly follow the information and advisories from local authorities and the warnings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as from the Vietnamese representative offices in those countries to respond promptly.”

In case citizens in these areas need assistance, they are advised to contact the citizen protection hotlines of the Vietnamese representative offices in those countries or the Citizen Protection Hotline of the Consular Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), which is available on the Ministry’s website: +84 981 84 84 84. — VNS