Speaking at the ministry’s regular press meeting on November 9, the ministry's Spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said that as extremely complex developments have persisted in the Middle East in recent days, the MoFA has recommended Vietnamese citizens leave Israel early to ensure their safety.

So far, 13 Vietnamese nationals have safely returned to the homeland, she noted.

Under the MoFA’s directions, the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel has proactively built and carried out citizen protection plans, kept contact with, increased communications and recommendations, and assisted citizens to leave Israel for safer places.

She added that in case of emergency, they should contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel via its citizen protection hotline (+972 50 818 6116, +972 52 727 4248 or +972 50 994 0889), and the MoFA’s Consular Department via its citizen protection switchboard (+84 981 84 84 84, +84 965 41 11 18) or email (baohocongdan@gmail.com).

Regarding the protection of Vietnamese citizens in Myanmar, the Spokeswoman said authorities of Myanmar recently rescued hundreds of foreigners, including Vietnamese citizens, from fraudulent casinos in northern border areas of this country.

Among the rescued, 166 Vietnamese citizens have been identified and moved to a safe place in a northern Myanmar area bordering China, she went on, adding that conflicts in this area as well as some other areas/states of Myanmar, including Kayin state, are hampering the access to and protection of citizens.

Over the past days, under the MoFA’s directions, relevant units of the ministry have held meetings with the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar, the representative bodies of Vietnam in China, and domestic agencies to discuss citizen protection.

The embassy in Myanmar is coordinating with Vietnamese authorities as well as those in China on citizen protection plans to help repatriate the citizens as soon as possible. The embassy has also asked the Myanmar side to guarantee security and safety for the Vietnamese nationals, Hang said.

She noted that the MoFA recommends Vietnamese citizens to avoid travelling to Shan and Kayin states of Myanmar. If they are staying in Shan or Kayin at present, they should quickly make plans to evacuate and return to Vietnam. They should also closely follow information from local administrations and warnings from the MoFA’s Consular Department and the embassy to make timely response.

In case of emergency they can contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar via the citizen protection hotline (+959660888998), or the MoFA’s Consular Department via its citizen protection switchboard or email./.VNA