HÀ NỘI — Measures to protect Vietnamese citizens involved in incidents abroad were clarified by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng at a press conference in Hà Nội on Thursday.

In response to reporters’ questions about a Vietnamese fishing boat detained by Indonesia’s fisheries resources surveillance ship, the spokeswoman said Việt Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has provided information about this incident. 

The two sides are co-ordinating to resolve the issue in a spirit of friendship and on the basis of the countries’ strategic partnership, she noted.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Indonesian authorities have released four Vietnamese boats and most of fishermen who were detained on May 21.

The ministry said five Vietnamese fishing boats were stopped by Indonesian sea patrol while operating in waters about 18 nautical miles to the north from the delimitation line of continental shelf between Việt Nam and Indonesia.

One Vietnamese boat sank during the process and Vietnamese authorised force rescued one Indonesian officer. Việt Nam is requesting Indonesia to release the remaining fishermen they seized in the incident.

Regarding Vietnamese people following terror attacks in Jakarta (Indonesia), Marawi (the Philippines) and Manchester (the UK), she quoted Việt Nam’s representative agencies there as saying that there hasn’t been any new information about Vietnamese in the incidents. 

As an agency in charge of overseas citizen protection, the foreign ministry has ordered its representative agencies in those areas to update the situation and report to the ministry, Hằng said, adding that they are ready to undertake protective measures if Vietnamese citizens encounter difficulties. 

Regarding Đoàn Thị Hương, a suspect in the death of a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea citizen in Malaysia in February 2017, Hằng said representatives of the Embassy of Việt Nam in Malaysia and Malaysian lawyers paid consular visits to Hương on May 18 and 24 to give her support and seek arguments to defend her in the May 30 trial.

Hương said she was in good health and spirits. 

The foreign ministry is continuing close co-ordination with domestic agencies, the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and lawyers to protect Hương’s interests, the spokesperson noted.

PM’s visit to the US

Việt Nam and the US will discuss measures to promote their comprehensive partnership during the upcoming visit to the US by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said at the conference.

She said during the visit, leaders of the two countries will seek to enhance the partnership, especially in politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, education, war consequences settlement, and regional and international issues of shared concern, for the sake of peace, stability, co-operation and development. 

The official visit to the US by the Government leader of Việt Nam will last from May 29 to May 31, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. — VNS