Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has sent a letter to Vietnamese expatriates in Warsaw, Poland following the fire that destroyed the Marywilska 44 shopping center on May 12, expressing her deepest sympathy for their losses.

The shopping mall Marywilska 44 in flames. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

In her letter, Hang, who also serves as Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said it is time for Vietnamese individuals, businesses, and organizations in Poland and around the world to unite and support the victims of the fire.

The Deputy Foreign Minister called on the Vietnamese people all over the world to give maximum support to those affected by the fire to resettle and rebuild their businesses.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland to work with local authorities to protect the rights and benefits of overseas Vietnamese and to help them with administrative procedures to reissue damaged papers."

Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland Nguyen Hoang Hai promised on May 12 to stand by the Vietnamese people in Warsaw and help them overcome their misfortunes.

The embassy will hold a session every week to receive and process administrative documents for those who lost their papers in the fire, the ambassador said while meeting with the Vietnamese community in Warsaw.

The Embassy of Vietnam in Poland can be reached via the following hotlines: +48 782 257 359 and +48 601 925 288.

In the early morning of May 12 in Warsaw (local time), a fire broke out and burned to the ground the Marywilska 44 shopping center, where 600 out of 1,400 shops were run by Vietnamese nationals.