VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday, March 16, instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to work with relevant agencies from the two countries to evacuate Vietnamese citizens from areas of danger following the recent earthquake and tsunami.



The Prime Minister was speaking after hearing a report on the post quake and tsunami situation from leaders of the Foreign Ministry and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.


The foreign ministry was told to monitor the situation carefully and be ready to take necessary measures within their jurisdiction if needed.


The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications was asked to co-ordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Central Commission for Information Dissemination and Education to guide press coverage relating to the aftermath of the disaster in Japan.


It was also instructed to make internet access readily available for anyone in need of regular updates regarding the situation.


The Viet Nam Atomic Energy Commission was asked to provide accurate and objective information relating to nuclear safety and problems in Japan to the press.


The PM asked the health ministry to be ready to send doctors and nurses to join rescue teams in Japan, and to prepare plans to test Vietnamese citizens returning from the country for unusual levels of radiation while working with relevant ministries and agencies on contingency plans, should radioactive dust start to spread across Viet Nam.


PM Dung yesterday telephoned the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to give his regards to Vietnamese citizens and instruct representative agencies to spare no efforts in their work to support Japan while protecting Vietnamese citizens.

The foreign ministry yesterday issued an official announcement about the Vietnamese Government's close watch over the situation and the efforts of the Japanese Government in dealing with the Fukushima No 1 nuclear plant.

Scientists and relevant agencies from Viet Nam were working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan to get updated information, said the ministry's spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga.


The Government would take appropriate measures in a timely manner to ensure the safety of Vietnamese citizens in Japan, she said.

Vietnamese representative agencies in Japan had received effective assistance from authorised agencies and the people of Japan in the work to protect Vietnamese citizens.


The Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday sent rescue teams and three buses to regions affected by the earthquake and tsunami to evacuate Vietnamese citizens to Tokyo. As of yesterday, 84 Vietnamese students and trainees had been evacuated to Tokyo and provided with food and other necessities.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News