According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, the majority of Vietnamese residents in Ukraine have been safely evacuated from danger zones, and authorities will continue to work to develop appropriate strategies.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu. Photo: VNA

Pham Quang Hieu, who is also the Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, was among the officials present at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport on March 8 at midday to greet 287 Vietnamese refugees who had been evacuated from Ukraine and boarded the first repatriation aircraft to Romania.

He stated at Noi Bai airport that one of the top goals of the Party, State, Government, and Vietnam Fatherland Front since the battle started is to ensure the protection of overseas Vietnamese nationals and companies, according to VNA.

The government demanded the formation of a special working group to relocate citizens from war zones and assist those who wish to return home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the coordinating body, has been working closely with relevant ministries and sectors to direct Vietnam's representative agencies in Ukraine and neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, in collaboration with Vietnamese associations, to evacuate those in the worst war zones as soon as possible, according to the official.

The Transport Ministry is assigned to instruct Vietnamese airlines to put in place plans to transport Vietnamese citizens and their families to Vietnam. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed official dispatch 201/CD-TTg dated February 26, 2022 on the protection of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities in Ukraine. Photo: VGP

As follow to relevant agencies, the majority of civilians in combat zones have been safely evacuated. Ministries and sectors will propose to the Government and the working group that further repatriation flights be organized in the future based on their wishes.

Said the deputy minister, this year's citizen safety and evacuation program has certain unique characteristics.

This is not the first time large-scale repatriation flights have been organized, as a similar action was made in the aftermath of the Libyan crisis in 2011. However, the majority of Vietnamese people in Ukraine have long lived in the nation and have deep ties to it. Many of them had previously assumed that the fight would be mild.

Vietnam's foreign representative bodies have consistently given suggestions and convinced expatriates, who have frequently decided to evacuate at the last minute.

Relevant agencies have been working tirelessly to coordinate with authorities in Ukraine and Russia to establish a safe corridor for citizens to travel, according to Deputy Minister Hieu, who added that only a few people remain in Ukraine to monitor their assets, and the agencies are still in touch with them to offer assistance.

The majority of the Vietnamese people in Ukraine have been safely evacuated from war zones. Photo: VNA

This citizen protection effort has certain benefits, such as the attention of Party, State, and Government officials, the proactiveness of relevant agencies, and previous crisis experience, but the official says that much more needs to be done in the future.

Vietnamese airlines are considering various options to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Ukraine to Vietnam. The PM asked the Transport Ministry to instruct Vietnamese airlines to put in place plans to transport Vietnamese citizens and their families in Ukraine to Viet Nam. At present, as it is not possible to operate flights to Ukraine which is a combat zone, the airlines draft plans to fly to several locations in Europe.

Vietnam Thanks Poland for Helping Evacuate Vietnamese Citizens from Ukraine Vietnam values Poland’s support to protect Vietnamese citizens, said Foreign Minister.

State President Urges Ministries to Give Highest Priority For Protecting OVs in Ukraine In a statement relating Vietnamese in Ukraine, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the spirit of humanity and responsibility was very urgent.

Most Vietnamese Citizens In Ukraine Evacuated From Battle Zone: spokesperson The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said that Vietnam gives the highest priority to citizen protection measures in Ukraine.