I. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina to pay an official visit to Viet Nam

At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Santiago Andrés Cafiero will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from 09 to 11 July 2022. 

This visit takes place at a time when the Viet Nam - Argentina Comprehensive Partnership continues to be bolstered, and remains ever-flourishing in various areas, such as political and diplomatic relations, economic and trade ties, and technical cooperation.

During this visit, Minister Santiago Andrés Cafiero will hold talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son to discuss measures to further strengthen our bilateral ties. The two Ministers will also exchange views on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries in the time to come. Tentatively, Minister Santiago Andrés Cafiero will pay courtesy calls on Vietnamese high-level Leaders, and meet and work with Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.

2. The 9^th Political Consultation between Viet Nam and Venezuela

At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela Capaya Rodriguez will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from 06 to 10 July 2022. She will join Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc in co-chairing the 9th Political Consultation on 08 July 2022.

During the visit, the Vice Minister of Venezuela will also pay courtesy calls on Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and work with the Leaders of a number of Vietnamese agencies and organizations, such as the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the National Assembly’s External Affairs Committee, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Viet Nam Women’s Union, and the Viet Nam Academy of Agriculture Sciences. During these meetings, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela will engage in discussions on matters pertaining to bilateral cooperation, and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

II. Q&A

1. Dan Tri: Please provide detailed information on the situation of 02 Vietnamese citizens who are currently under investigation by Spanish competent authorities on the accusation of sexual harassment. Has Spain provided Viet Nam with an official statement on this matter? How will citizen protection work be implemented in this case?

On 01 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided information on these two individuals. Accordingly, the Vietnamese Embassy in Spain has received a notice from the Spanish police. The Embassy has also promptly taken initial action to implement citizen protection measures.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Spain is currently monitoring the situation, and stands ready to implement citizen protection measures in line with the local law and Vietnamese law. Also according to the Embassy, Spanish competent authorities are in the process of gathering information and evidence for the investigation. The two aforementioned citizens are in stable health conditions, and shall receive legal assistance in line with relevant regulations.

Information pertaining to citizen protection work for Vietnamese nationals abroad will be provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in line with its function, mandate and auspice, and with relevant regulations of the Vietnamese law.

2. Dan Tri: Recently, the Republic of Korea’s media reported that Korean police has arrested 33 Vietnamese students for throwing a drug party in a karaoke. Please provide information on the case, and elaborate on the measures to prevent violations of the law by Vietnamese nationals overseas.

Immediately upon receiving information regarding this case, the Vietnamese Embassy in the ROK has promptly contacted the Korean National Police to validate the information, and requested the ROK to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of these Vietnamese nationals.

According to initial information, among the above 33 people, four people have changed to Korean citizenship, while others are Vietnamese citizens who are illegally staying in the ROK. These citizens are currently detained by the ROK’s immigration authority to finalize relevant procedures for deportation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in the ROK to continue to closely monitor the situation, and keep regular contact with Korean competent authorities to receive updates, and engage in cooperation to implement necessary citizen protection measures in line with the local law and Vietnamese law.

In recent years, the number of Vietnamese nationals working, studying and going on tours abroad has been constantly increasing. The majority of these citizens have strictly complied with local laws, thereby contributing to establishing an excellent image of Viet Nam and its people. However, there remains a minority of Vietnamese nationals who have violated local laws while staying overseas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam and Vietnamese representative missions overseas have kept relevant hotlines open, upheld citizen protection work, and cooperated closely with local authorities and relevant domestic agencies to implement necessary citizen protection measures.

We have also been working closely with domestic competent authorities to put in place measures to address these issues. Such measures include stepping up information dissemination work, particularly regarding legal matters, to raise awareness among our citizens on the laws and practices in their countries of residence. We have also warned our people against being scammed and committing legal violations, so as to protect their legitimate rights and interests in line with the local law and Vietnamese law.

Efforts to advise our citizens and raise their awareness on the need to comply with the law would also very much require the participation of press agencies.

3. Zing: Please provide an update on citizen protection work for Vietnamese citizens currently suffering from forced labor in Cambodia.

Recently, in our observation, many Vietnamese newspapers have provided information and published articles on cases pertaining to Vietnamese nationals being scammed or suffering from forced labor in Cambodia. We have provided initial information to a number of interested press agencies.

I would like to provide further information regarding this matter. At the instruction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese representative missions in Cambodia have been working closely with relevant Ministries, agencies and localities at home, particularly those sharing a border with Cambodia, as well as competent Cambodian authorities in implementing citizen protection measures, and repatriating those who are currently facing hardships. These efforts include establishing specialized working groups to addressing the demands of Vietnamese nationals, issuing warnings on the website and social media account of Vietnamese representative missions in Cambodia, and working with competent Cambodian authorities in receiving information and protecting Vietnamese victims in a timely and effective manner.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia has also established a 24/7 citizen protection hotline, andprovided information on the hotline of the Consular Department, so as to receive information regarding victims and other warnings. The Embassy is also working with domestic competent authorities, especially press agencies, to disseminate information and raise awareness among the people.

Given the cooperation with domestic agencies, and the close collaboration with Cambodia, to date, authorities from both sides have repatriated around 400 cases, and provided guidance, intervention and legal assistance to over 1500 people who were facing difficulties in entry, traveling, and visa extension, or have committed violations of the law in their areas of residence.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese representative missions abroad will continue to work with domestic competent authorities and relevant Cambodian agencies in expediting investigation and stepping up the implementation of necessary citizen protection measures, so as to timely address emerging issues, with a view to mitigating and soon curbing this issue.

4. VnExpress: On 27 June, the White House stated that President Joe Biden signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related harmful labor practices on international waters. According to the statement on the website of the White House, the US will be working with Viet Nam, Ecuador, Panama, Senegal and Chinese Taipei in combating IUU fishing.

I have been following this information with keen interest. Viet Nam’s position regarding IUU fishing is consistent, and has been reiterated on several occasions. Viet Nam’s policy is to promote sustainable maritime economic development, and ensure sustainable fisheries, with a system of ships and jobs in line with the allowed exploitation capacity of marine resources. Viet Nam fully observes regulations pertaining to prevention of IUU fishing, and relevant international conventions and treaties to which Viet Nam is a party. These include The United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA), and the Port State Measures Agreement to prevent IUU fishing in line with the regulations of the FAO (PSMA).

Viet Nam has recently established and improved a legal system pertaining to substantive and effective aquacultural activities, and implemented a wide range of measures to prevent and mitigate IUU fishing. Viet Nam has also strived to put a stop to illegal fishing activities in the waters of other countries by Vietnamese vessels and fishermen. Vietnamese competent authorities and coastal provinces have also put in place management and information dissemination measures, and take concrete action to ensure that fishermen would comply with the Vietnamese law, and respect the waters of other countries as provided by the UNCLOS 1982.

Viet Nam also engages in an active and responsible manner at international forums, and in the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices including Combating IUU Fishing in the Region (RPOA-IUU). Viet Nam also stands ready to work with countries in the region, and the international community at large, in bolstering cooperation and stepping up experience sharing in combating IUU fishing and promoting sustainable and effective fisheries in line with the provisions of international law.