Day: August 25, 2021

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Putin criticised the US and its NATO allies for sending refugees from Afghanistan to other central Asian countries, calling it a direct threat to Moscow.

Russia, China, the US, and Pakistan are all interested in serving as mediators in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan so that it poses no threat to the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday. According to Lavrov, Russia opposes the idea of allowing Afghan refugees to enter the former Soviet region that lies between Russia and Afghanistan, or stationing US troops there.

There is a growing risk of suicide attacks by Islamic State (ISIS) fighters entering Kabul, Germany’s Chief of Defense Eberhard Zorn said Tuesday, as Western countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens and local staff before an August 31 deadline.

Source: VOV5

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has been named head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. He is tasked with directing in a centralized and unified manner from the central to local levels and coordinating all resources as quickly and effectively as possible to soon contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision was announced at a meeting chaired by Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong on Tuesday at which Vietnam’s top leaders discussed urgent measures to fight the pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities.

Mr. Trong said, “We need to be more aggressive against the coronavirus and calm as well. Exemplary response models and individuals deserve praise. It’s difficult to anticipate how things may go to set out scenarios. The Steering Committee must draft a detailed plan and strictly follow it.”

Party General Secretary Trong demanded that mass vaccination be rolled out quickly, particularly in hard-hit localities like Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An. He called for efforts to maintain security and social order, prevent hostile forces from sabotaging the regime and its COVID-19 battle, save lives, and provide food and other necessities to people following social distancing mandates.

Source: VOV5

US President Joe Biden has turned down a proposal by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to extend the August 31 deadline for completing evacuations from Afghanistan.

US President Joe Biden has turned down a proposal by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to extend the August 31 deadline for completing evacuations from Afghanistan.

At an online meeting of the G7 on Tuesday, President Biden said the sooner they finish the better, because each day of operations brings added risk to the troops and people of Afghanistan. The airlift of 6,000 American troops, who have taken full control of the Kabul airport, means that evacuation of the US’s Western allies will be put on hold.

President Biden has been harshly criticized for rejecting the extension proposed by British politicians, who are saying the US-UK relationship has plunged to the lowest point since the Suez Crisis in 1956 shattered their special relationship.

In an effort to calm tensions, Prime Minister Johnson said the G7 nations have reached a consensus on a joint action plan and have asked the Taliban to ensure security for their withdrawal.

Prime Minister Johnson said, “We have got together the leading Western powers and agreed not just a joint approach to dealing with the evacuation, but also a road map for the way in which we’re going to engage with the Taliban, as it probably will be a Taliban government in Kabul.”

He went on to say, “The number one condition we’re setting as G7 is that they have got to guarantee, right the way through August 31 and beyond, safe passage for those who want to come out.”

G7 leaders also discussed how to respond to the Taliban. They agreed to disburse Afghanistan’s frozen assets abroad only if the Taliban respects certain commitments, including not harboring terrorist forces, ending drug trafficking, and ensuring human rights such as allowing girls access to education until they reach the age of 18.

Source: VOV5

The 42nd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-42), themed “Forging Parliamentary Cooperation in Digital Inclusion towards ASEAN Community 2025”, concluded on Wednesday after three working days via videoconference.

The Vietnamese National Assembly delegation, led by Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, attended the closing ceremony.

Concluding the event, head of the parliaments of 10 Southeast Asian countries signed a joint communique of the 42nd AIPA General Assembly.

They also adopted a resolution admitting the parliaments of Ukraine and Pakistan as the new observers.

Following the closing ceremony, Brunei handed over the role of AIPA 2022 Chair to the Cambodian National Assembly.

Source: VOV5

The Defense Ministry and Quang Binh Provincial People’s Committee held an online conference to highlight General Vo Nguyen Giap’s revolutionary life and career on Wednesday.

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Education and Communications Commission, Nguyen Trong Nghia, praised General Vo Nguyen Giap’s significant contributions to the development of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Delegates agreed that throughout his revolutionary life, General Vo Nguyen Giap always observed the Party’s guidelines and attached great importance to building a transparent and strong Party organisation, educating morality and revolutionary virtue and enhancing the fighting ability of soldiers.

In the eyes of the Vietnamese people and international friends, he was a virtuous and talented leader, a brilliant practical activist, a resilient revolutionary soldier who devoted his whole life for the country, people, and army.

Source: VOV5

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh and visiting US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday inaugurated the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Hanoi.

Deputy Prime Minister Minh told the ceremony that healthcare cooperation has always been a highlight in the relationship between the US and ASEAN. The opening of CDC’s Office demonstrates the commitment and close cooperation of the US government to the region in efforts to control COVID-19 and other dangerous diseases. The Deputy Prime Minister said he believes that CDC’s Southeast Asia Office will work closely with partners inside and outside the region to pursue the important goal of ensuring the best health care services for people.

Vice President Harris said the launch of the office is a testament to the US commitment to the roadmap for ASEAN. The US wishes to deepen cooperation in public health with ASEAN, towards the goal of assisting regional countries to respond to potential health threats, she said.

One of the priorities of the Southeast Asia Office is to coordinate COVID-19 prevention activities in the region, expand regional public health testing training, improve the health of mobile and migrant populations towards eradication of diseases such as measles, rabies and malaria, while supporting the US Government’s foreign policy initiatives in the region.

Within the framework of the US Vice President’s visit, US Embassy’s Charge d’affaires in Vietnam Christopher Klein and Director of the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Duy Cuong on Wednesday signed an agreement on the new location of the US Embassy in Hanoi. Vice President Harris and Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh witnessed the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, the new headquarters of the US Embassy will span 3.2 ha of land in Cau Giay district, Hanoi, marking an important milestone in the diplomatic relationship between the US and Vietnam.

Source: VOV5