(MOFA) - January 9, 2020, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conference, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Le Thi Thu Hang responded to reporters' questions asking for Vietnam's reaction to escalating tensions in the Middle East:

Question: Vnexpress: Do you have any comment regarding current US – Iran tensions?

Answer: Vietnam is concerned about the recent tensions in the Middle East. We call on all relevant parties to exercise self-restraint, avoid escalating tensions, not use force, protect civilians, and resolve disagreements through dialogue and peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law for the sake of peace, stability in the region and the world.

Question: Vnexpress: Do you have any citizen protection measures for Vietnamese in The Middle East? 

Answer: To ensure the security and safety for Vietnamese citizens in the Middle East, an advisory has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 8th January 2020, advising all Vietnamese against going to the region’s countries that could be influenced by conflicts; follow instructions from relevant local authorities to ensure the personal safety of lives and property. The Foreign Ministry has published the citizen protection hotlines of all Vietnamese diplomatic missions in the region so that people can contact when necessary. It has also ordered the Vietnamese diplomatic missions in the Middle East and domestic relevant sides to keep a close watch on the situation and ready citizen protection measures in case of necessity./.