Việt Nam hopes Cambodia will make it easier to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese Cambodians.— VNA/VNS Photo Danh Chanh Da

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam hopes Cambodia will make it easier to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese Cambodians.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng made the statement during the ministry’s regular press conference in Hà Nội on Thursday while fielding a question on the Cambodian administration’s plan to re-issue legal papers to expatriates in Cambodia, including Vietnamese.

“Việt Nam and Cambodia have had a traditional sound neighbourly friendship. The Vietnamese-Cambodian community in Cambodia has made contributions to Cambodia’s development as well as fostering the tradition and friendship between the two countries,” Hằng said.

“We hope that during the process of completing their legal papers, these people are helped to maintain their stable life and continue contributing their part to Cambodia’s socio-economic life, thus cementing the traditional friendship and all-faceted cooperation between the two countries,” the spokesperson said.

Philippine shooting

Regarding a naval ship of the Philippines shooting at a fishing boat from Việt Nam’s central province of Phú Yên, killing two fishermen in September, Hằng said fishermen must be treated humanely and force or a threat of force against fishermen must not be used.

“We demand the Philippines promptly investigate the incident, clarify responsibility and strictly handle violations. It should notify Việt Nam of the investigation outcomes soon while offering appropriate apologies and compensating fishermen for human and property losses," she said.

Protection of suspect

At the press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hằng updated the media about the protection provided to Đoàn Thị Hương, a suspect in the death of a Democratic People’s Republic of Korean (DPRK) national in Malaysia.

The spokeswoman said Hương’s trial hasn’t finished yet. “The foreign ministry has been coordinating closely with domestic authorised agencies, the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and Malaysian lawyers to consolidate arguments and evidence to defend Đoàn Thị Hương,” she added.

The DPRK citizen, Kim Chol as named in his passport, died at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13. Hương is one of the two suspects in the case. The other is an Indonesian woman, Siti Aisyah. Under Malaysian law, they could face the death penalty if found guilty.

APEC preparations

All preparations at the hotels, conference centre and media centre that will host 21 heads of economies and thousands of officials and visitors at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit are basically completed, Hằng said the same day. The summit will take place in the central coastal city of Đà Nẵng from November 6 to 11.

To ensure that events run smoothly, Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh, chairman of the APEC 2017 National Committee, reviewed rehearsals of events and directed organisation plans as well as backup schemes for receptions, logistics, security, medical care and food safety, Hằng said.

Established in 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum comprises 21 economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the US, and Việt Nam. — VNS