Deputy FM holds working sessions with UK authorities on lorry incident

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung has working sessions with UK authorities on the lorry tragedy in Essex last week. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam will continue close coordination with the UK to accelerate the identification of victims in the lorry tragedy in Essex last week, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung said during his working sessions with UK authorities.

On November 5, the Deputy FM worked with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Asia and the Pacific) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Heather Wheeler; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office Seema Kennedy; Senior Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray; and Director-General Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Menna Rawlings.

The Vietnamese diplomat took the occasion to thank the UK side for their active cooperation, saying Vietnamese authorities will carry out citizen protection measures if necessary and hope to receive support from the UK in the process.

He asked the UK to speed up the investigation into the case, mete out strict punishments to the wrongdoers, and enhance coordination with Vietnam to prevent the crime of illegal transporting migrants.

Earlier on November 4, Dung had working sessions with representatives from the UK Department of Home Affairs and Essex police, signed funeral book and paid floral tribute to the 39 victims in the incident.

He also instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK to work closely with authorities in the host nation and get citizen protection measures ready in case of necessity.