Vietnam regrets a decision made by the U.S. to sanction Vietnam Gas and Chemicals Transportation Corporation over a petroleum trade deal with Iran and urges Washington to remove the sanction, Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Hang stressed that commercial transactions between Vietnam and Iran do not run contrary to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions regarding the Islamic republic.
“As a responsible member of the UN and international community, Vietnam always fully observes regulations and strictly handles any violations. The relationship between Vietnam and Iran is always open, transparent, and lawful,” Hang emphasized.
“Trade relations between Vietnam and Iran are strictly civilian and involve goods that would serve the essential needs of people and are not contrary to the resolutions of the UNSC.
“Vietnam finds it regrettable that the U.S. has reached such a decision, and we urge the U.S., on the basis of the excellent relations between the two countries, to promptly remove the sanction against the Vietnam Gas and Chemicals Transportation Corporation without causing further difficulties to Vietnamese businesses and companies engaging in ordinary economic activities.”
In its press release on Thursday, the U.S. Department of State said it was imposing sanctions on Vietnam Gas and Chemicals Transportation Corporation as well as the company’s managing director, Vo Ngoc Phung, for “knowingly engaging, on or after November 5, 2018, in a significant transaction for the transport of petroleum products from Iran.”
The statement, however, does not point out restrictive measures that the company and Phung will be put under.
According the U.S. Department of State, these sanctions are pursuant to Executive Order 13846 signed by President Donald Trump on August 6, 2018.
On the same day, the department announced that the U.S. Department of Finance would also impose sanctions against two China-based and two UAE-based companies for providing material assistance or support to an Iranian oil export company.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!