The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed Vietnamese representative agencies in China and the Philippines to proactively coordinate with local authorities to secure safe harbor for Vietnamese vessels, support rescue operations and ship repairs if necessary, said its spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang.
She made the statement during the ministry’s regular press briefing in Hanoi on September 5 in response to a reporter's question about coordination efforts to protect Vietnamese citizens and vessels as super typhoon Yagi is about to land with winds reaching level 16.
Hang said earlier the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had issued an urgent dispatch requesting ministries, agencies, and local authorities to take immediate, decisive measures, with the highest level of preparedness and proactive response.
According to her, the ministry also sent diplomatic notes to the Chinese and Philippine embassies in Hanoi, urging them to coordinate with their authorities to support Vietnamese vessels in case of emergency and assign personnel on duty around the clock to provide immediate support and maintain seamless communication with both domestic and international agencies to ensure timely responses.
Turning to the protection of Vietnamese citizens abroad, Hang addressed concerns about the 666 migrants stranded at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil, including several Vietnamese citizens.
She reassured that the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil, under the ministry's direction, is working closely with local authorities to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to safeguard the citizens involved.
Vietnam follows the consistent policy of promoting legal and safe migration, preventing illegal migration and human trafficking, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of migrants, she noted.
To deter migration through unofficial and unsafe channels, and to address the exploitation of migration routes, Vietnamese authorities have recently ramped up dissemination of safe and legal migration channels and warned citizens about the risks and dangers associated with unofficial migration routes. Citizens have also been advised to thoroughly understand the regulations, policies and laws of their destination and transit countries and comply with both Vietnamese and foreign laws, she added.
"We are actively implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, as stipulated in the Prime Minister's Decision No. 402/QD-TTg dated March 20, 2020. We are also closely cooperating with relevant countries to establish and maintain a transparent and safe migration environment for the legitimate rights and interests of migrants”, she stated.
