Steering Commitee on overseas citizen protection set up: Steering Committee convened its first meeting on October, 2022. (Photo: WVR/VNA)

Later the same day, the Steering Committee convened its first meeting, which was chaired by its head, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu.

Attending the event were representatives of the MoFA’s relevant units and the Vietnamese Ambassadors to Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Over the past time, the protection of Vietnamese citizens abroad has been implemented in a timely and effective manner thanks to the attention and close directions of high-ranking leaders as welll as the participation and close coordination of ministries, agencies and localities, especially the MoFA and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad.

In early 2022, the Ministry and Vietnam's representative agencies in Ukraine and some neighbouring countries organised the evacuation of about 6,000 Vietnamese nationals affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, of which about 1,600 were brought back to Vietnam and others were safely evacuated to a third country.

The establishment of the Steering Committee is of great significance as the protection of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities abroad is taking place amid increasingly complicated and unpredictable developments such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Vietnamese citizens tricked into working abroad, illegally residence, forced labour, and the handling of Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels by other countries.

Under the decision, signed by Minister Bui Thanh Son, the Steering Committee is under the direction of MOFA leaders, with the participation of relevant units of the ministry and representative agencies when any citizen protection case emerges.

It is responsible for studying guidelines and policies regarding citizen protection and offering advice to the Government and the MOFA when there are situations that affect the rights and interests of the State, citizens and legal entities of Vietnam abroad. The Consular Department is the standing body of the Steering Committee.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Hieu affirmed that the Party delegation to and leaders of the MOFA always define citizen protection as a regular political task. He expected that the work would be carried out in a more timely and effective manner, ensuring smooth direction and harmonious coordination between agencies at home and abroad.

The establishment of the Steering Committee will improve the quality and professionalism of citizen protection work in the future.

A number of important issues were also touched upon at the meeting, including a coordination mechanism between the ministry's units and representative agencies, and plans to protect Vietnamese citizens and legal entities in the context of the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.