Vietnam calls for immediate ceasefire amid escalating tensions in Middle East

Pham Thu Hang, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the statement at a routine press briefing on November 9 in Hanoi in reply to a reporter's question about the nation’s response to the escalating tensions regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

"In the spirit of the Resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly at the emergency session on October 27, we call on all parties to immediately cease fire and comply with international law and international humanitarian law and protect civilians, civilian infrastructure, establish humanitarian corridors and immediately release hostages being held," Hang said.

Vietnam welcomes and supports the efforts made by the international community to promote restraint, dialogue, and resolution of disagreements through peaceful measures on the basis of international law and relevant UN resolutions aimed at achieving a just, satisfactory, and lasting solution to the Middle East peace process, the diplomat added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to urge Vietnamese citizens in Israel to leave the country in the face of recent complex developments in the Middle East.

Hang said that as extremely complex developments have persisted in the Middle East in recent days, the MoFA has recommended Vietnamese citizens leave Israel early to ensure their safety.

So far, 13 Vietnamese nationals have safely returned to the homeland, the diplomat said.

Under the MoFA’s directions, the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel has proactively built and carried out citizen protection plans, kept contact with, stepped up communications and recommendations, and assisted citizens to leave Israel for safer places.

With regard to the protection of Vietnamese citizens in Myanmar, the official said authorities of Myanmar recently rescued hundreds of foreigners, including Vietnamese citizens, from fraudulent casinos in northern border areas of this country.

Among the rescued, 166 Vietnamese citizens have been identified and moved to a safe place in a northern Myanmar area bordering China, she went on, adding that conflicts in this area as well as some other areas/states of Myanmar, including Kayin state, are hampering the access to and protection of citizens.

Over the past days, under the MoFA’s directions, relevant units of the ministry have held meetings with the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar, the representative bodies of Vietnam in China, and domestic agencies to discuss citizen protection.

The embassy in Myanmar is working hand in hand with Vietnamese authorities as well as those in China on citizen protection plans to help repatriate the citizens as soon as possible. The embassy has also asked the Myanmar side to guarantee security and safety for the Vietnamese nationals, Hang stated.

She noted that the MoFA recommends Vietnamese citizens to avoid travelling to Shan and Kayin states of Myanmar. If they are staying in Shan or Kayin at present, they should quickly make plans to evacuate and return to Vietnam. They should also closely follow information from local administrations and warnings from the MoFA’s Consular Department and the embassy to make timely response.