Illustrative image (Photo: VGP)

The dispatch, sent to ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, says since February 24, the armed conflict in Ukraine has spread in a fast and complicated manner, directly threatening the life safety and assets of people and businesses, including that of around 7,000 Vietnamese living in Ukraine, mainly in Kharkiv, Odesa and Kyiv.

In such a situation, one of the top concerns of the Party, State, Government and Prime Minister is to ensure the highest security and safety of lives, assets and legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities in Ukraine and related areas, the document says.

In the dispatch, the PM assigns tasks to ministries and People’s Committees. Accordingly, the Foreign Ministry is required to build plans to ensure security and safety and evacuate citizens and members of representative missions when necessary, while providing support for them in terms of accommodation, food and other necessities.

The ministry is also tasked with instructing Vietnamese representative missions in Ukraine and adjacent countries to make lists of Vietnamese citizens in conflict areas and take measures to quickly take them out of dangerous areas and take shelter in neighbouring countries when necessary. The ministry should also have plans ready to bring those people back to Vietnam in case they want to.

Anyone needing support can contact the citizens protection hotlines of the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine (+380 (63) 8638999); the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia (+79916821617); or the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry (+84 965411118, +84 981848484; Email baohocongdan@gmail.com).

The Foreign Ministry should also ask regional countries and international and humanitarian organisations to provide help to Vietnamese citizens when necessary.

The Transport Ministry is assigned to instruct Vietnamese airlines to put in place plans to transport Vietnamese citizens and their families to Vietnam.

The Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and related ministries and sectors are required to take stock of Vietnamese people working and studying in Ukraine and inform the Foreign Ministry to serve the provision of assistance and evacuation to them.

The Ministry of Public Security should create favourable conditions in the granting of immigration documents to Vietnamese citizens, people of Vietnamese origin and their family members.

The Ministries of Planning and Investment; Industry and Trade; Finance; Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the State Bank of Vietnam and relevant agencies are required to closely follow the situation in Ukraine and work with relevant partners to seek suitable measures to ensure Vietnam’s national interest and the legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens and businesses.

The Finance Ministry should coordinate with the Foreign Ministry and other ministries and agencies to allocate funding for the implementation of citizen protection measures.

The Ministry of Information and Communication and the media are assigned to provide timely and objective information on the situation in Ukraine.

Chairpersons of provinces and centrally-run cities should coordinate with ministries and agencies in protecting citizens and interests related to their localities.

The PM urged the Vietnamese community, Vietnamese businesses and Vietnamese associations in Ukraine and adjacent countries to uphold the tradition of solidarity, self-reliance and mutual help, thus helping each other to overcome difficulties and mitigate losses.