VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made an urgent phone call to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi yesterday (Dec 28), affirming that Viet Nam was willing to join search and rescue efforts for missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 if needed.

Deputy PM Minh said the Vietnamese government and people shared the deep concern of the governments and people of Indonesia and other nearby countries, as well as the families of passengers on the missing flight.

Minister Retno informed his Vietnamese counterpart of the latest developments and expressed thanks for the timely offer of assistance.

The plane lost contact with air traffic control yesterday morning while flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people on board.

Source: VNS