VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnamese foreign spokeswoman told the press Thursday that Vietnam always creates favorable conditions for foreign diplomats to work in Vietnam in line with international law.

Asked about the incident relating to a US diplomat, Nguyen Phuong Nga said “Vietnam always creates favorable conditions for foreign representative agencies and foreign diplomats to work in Vietnam in accordance with international law including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961”.

“At the same time, foreign diplomatic agencies and foreign diplomats also have an obligation the abide by the Vienna Convention and respect laws of the local country”.

She added that Vietnamese authorities are paying attention to the incident when Christian Marchant, political officer of the US Embassy, caused some trouble in the central city of Hue during his visit to Mr. Nguyen Van Ly.

According to sources from Vietnamese relevant authorities, on January 5, 2011 on the Phan Dinh Phung Street in Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province, a foreign man in a suit carrying a briefcase was shouting in English and Vietnamese at a number of Vietnamese nationals.

An officer from the Thua Thien Hue provincial Foreign Affairs Department then reasoned with him.

The foreigner introduced himself as a diplomat of the US Embassy in Vietnam. He said he could go anywhere and shoved away the Vietnamese officer.

This foreigner then made his way into a group of locals standing nearby and pushed them away.

After the incident, authorities invited this foreigner to the headquarters of the provincial Foreign Affairs Department.

Here the foreigner continued to show an uncooperative attitude and left the office room.

The man turned out to be Christian Marchant, political officer of the US Embassy in Hanoi.

Source: Tuoi Tre