Answering pressmen's questions regarding Russia’s decision on labor immigrants’ management, the spokesman stressed: "Vietnam respects the Russian Federation’s decisions including the documents on the strengthening of labor immigrants’ management, especially a bill to restrict and ban foreign retailers in markets and kiosks in Russia."

He recommended that the Russian Government issues residence documents and work permits to accelerate the process of occupational assistance to Vietnamese expatriates.

According to the spokesman, there are currently about 80,000 to 100,000 Vietnamese people living and working in more than 20 cities in Russia. Until now, the Vietnamese community has had about 300 companies and business establishments operating as private companies or as Russia-Vietnam joint ventures in Russia.

Mr Dung said: "The Vietnamese community living in Russia has been making active contributions to the development of the two countries' cooperative relations in economic and trade fields, as well as serving as a bridge of friendship between the two peoples."

He also said that in order to assist the Vietnamese people living in Russia to better understand the newly–enacted regulations, the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia briefly translated Russia’s new documents on immigration, specifically those related to the ban of foreign retailers, then delivered them to the Vietnamese community in Russia for reference and study. In addition, staff members of the Embassy have met with Vietnamese expatriates to learn about the facts, their thinking and their expectations, and to elaborate on Russia’s new regulations.