Vice Governor of Odessa in Ukraine Salomia Bobrovskaya has apologised to the Vietnamese community in the city for unwarranted raids on their houses in the Vietnamese quarter called Lang Sen (Lotus Village) on Grushevskogo street.

Overseas Vietnamese protested in front of the Odessa regional prosecutor’s office on May 24.

Russian and Ukrainian television reported that some 200 overseas Vietnamese protested in front of the Odessa regional prosecutor’s office on May 24 against the Kiev tax staff and Ukrainian general prosecutor for raiding their houses on May 23 without necessary documents.

Vietnamese expatriates confirmed that tax staff took at least 500,000 USD and other valuables.

Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam met with Ukrainian Ambassador to Vietnam Oleksiy Shovkoplias in Hanoi on May 24, asking Ukraine to tighten security measures to protect Vietnamese expats.

He urged the Ukrainian diplomat to send home a report on the case, requesting relevant agencies to identify the culprits and motives and return the confiscated property.

The Ukrainian ambassador said he will send his report immediately and update information on the case soon.

Previously, after being informed of the incident, Vietnam’s Embassy in Ukraine sent a working group to the site, collecting information and visiting the Vietnamese residents.

Ukraine said it is committed to ensuring safety in Vietnamese residential areas.

VNA