and arrange flights to bring them home when necessary in conformity with developments of the pandemic, the ministry's Vice Spokesman Doan Khac Viet said on April 29.

On a flight repatriating Vietnamese citizens from India (Photo: VNA)

At the ministry’s regular press conference, Viet said right after new COVID-19 developments were reported in India and a number of Southeast Asian nations, the ministry directed Vietnamese representative agencies there to prepare citizen protection measures and closely coordinate with local competent agencies to get updated on the situations with a special focus on treating Vietnamese citizens in need.

He said that these Vietnamese agencies have continually posted relevant updates on their official websites and recommended Vietnamese citizens raise their awareness on pandemic control and follow related regulations of the host nations.
They have been making efforts to maintain and set up more communications channels for Vietnamese communities and ensure ready supplies of necessities to aid the citizens when needed, Viet stressed.

Vietnamese citizens can visit the Vietnamese Embassy in India’s official website (www.vietnam.embassy.dehli.vn) or call its hotline +9173036225588 to get updated.

In Cambodia, they can either call the embassy’s phone number +85597020561 or the citizen protection line +84981848484.

Regarding reporters’ queries on an announcement of Malaysian authorities on April 26 on the arrest of three Vietnamese fishing vessels allegedly involving in illegal fishing on the country’s territorial waters, the Vice Spokesman said the ministry had promptly directed the Vietnamese Embassy to immediately contact local competent agencies, requesting humanitarian treatment for fishermen, to verify relevant information, and to proactively conduct necessary citizen protection measures.

Vice Spokesman Doan Khac Viet speaks at the press conference

The embassy also requested the Malaysian side to provide all documents and evidence related to the vessels, which could serve as the basis for Vietnamese competent agencies to investigate and handle them if there was any violation.

Vietnam consistently advocates the development of fishing towards sustainability with a focus on the conservation and promotion of aquatic resources, environmental protection, and international cooperation, he stated.

Vietnamese fishermen are educated all the time on having to respect the laws of Vietnam and other countries as well as relevant international commitments of Vietnam, Viet said. They have been told not to intrude upon territorial waters belonging to other coastal countries’ sovereignty and sovereignty rights defined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Viet added./.VNA