Day: May 21, 2023

Vietnam supports and appreciates the role of the ASEAN Chair in connecting with all stakeholders in finding a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Myanmar situation, as well as the bloc's efforts to promote humanitarian relief in the country and the repatriation process in Rakhine State, Minister Counsellor Le Thi Minh Thoa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has said.

Addressing the UN Security Council’s Arria-formula meeting on the humanitarian situation in Myanmar on May 19 (local time), Thoa stressed that the process of solving the situation in Myanmar must be controlled and led by the country itself.

Relevant parties in the nation must fully and effectively implement the ASEAN-agreed Five-Point Consensus, end violence, ensure humanitarian and healthcare access for all, and create a favourable environment to promote dialogue and reconciliation.

Meanwhile, the international community needs to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN and UN agencies in coordinating humanitarian relief activities to ensure that relief goods reach needy people, especially women and children, while ensuring respect for Myanmar's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity, she said.

Regarding the situation of Rakhine State, the Vietnamese representative spoke highly of the recent initiative to start repatriation in the state through a pilot project, demonstrating a proactive approach in finding long-term solutions to the current situation. She called on the international community to increase financial support and coordinate to find a sustainable solution to issue.

In the face of heavy consequences and human losses caused by Cyclone Mocha, Thoa sent deep condolences and expressed sympathies to the people of Myanmar. As an active member of the UN and ASEAN, Vietnam continues to promote dialogue and reconciliation and narrow differences in order to assist Myanmar in reaching a solution to the current situation.

Speaking at the meeting, representatives of many countries raised concerns over the situation in Myanmar, condemning the use of force against civilians as well as the attack on a convoy of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) and the ASEAN Monitoring Team in Myanmar.

They emphasised the need for a ceasefire and an end to violence, and to avoid the escalation of the situation, ensure humanitarian and healthcare access for all, observe international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and address differences and differences through dialogue and reconciliation in accordance with aspirations of the Myanmar people./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio on May 21 within the framework of his trip to attend the G7 expanded Summit.

This is the first Vietnam-Japan high-level talks to take place in Hiroshima, the hometown of PM Kishida, and the fifth between the two PMs in more than a year.

Chinh congratulated Kishida and host Japan on successfully organising the G7 and G7 expanded Summits, and spoke highly of Japan's coordinating role to reach consensus in solving global challenges such as food security and emission reduction.

Kishida welcomed the active and effective participation in and contribution of the Vietnamese delegation to the success of the G7 expanded Summit, affirming that Vietnam holds a leading position in the implementation of Japan's foreign policy in the region.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction at the strong, comprehensive and substantive development of the two countries' relations over the past time; and agreed on major orientations and specific measures to promote the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan for peace and prosperity in Asia to a new height.

They agreed to strengthen political trust by stepping up high-level visits and contacts in 2023 which marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The PMs also reached a consensus on enhancing defence-security cooperation in the settlement of the post-war consequences, human resources training, technology transfer, and cyber security.

The two leaders appreciated the completion of procedures for capital commitment of the new generation official development assistance (ODA) programme for post-pandemic economic recovery worth 50 billion JPY (362.4 million USD); and affirmed to direct relevant ministries and sectors to accelerate the progress of several ODA projects such as Cho Ray Hospital 2, Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line No.1.

Regarding the Nghi Son Oil Refinery project, PM Chinh suggested the two countries’ businesses actively exchange ideas in the spirit of harmonising benefits, sharing risks, and removing difficulties of the project.

He also proposed the two sides work together to promote a new wave of Japanese investment in Vietnam in the fields of high-tech industry and energy transition to help Vietnamese firms participate more deeply and widely in the supply chains of Japan and the globe.

The Vietnamese PM also proposed the Japanese Government to create favourable conditions and simplify procedures for granting visas towards the exemption of entry visas for Vietnamese citizens to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries, and pay more attention to the 500,000-strong Vietnamese community in the country.

The two sides affirmed to coordinate their stances on issues of mutual concern at multilateral and regional forums such as ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Kishida invited Chinh to visit Japan again and attend the ASEAN-Japan Summit in December.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the leaders emphasised the importance of ensuring navigation and aviation security and safety, solving all disputes and differences by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon completing an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Before the talks, the two witnessed the exchange of signed documents of three ODA cooperation projects with a total value of 61 billion JPY, including a new-generation ODA support programme for post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development, a public transport infrastructure project in Binh Duong province, and an agricultural development infrastructure project in Lam Dong province.

This is the last activity of PM Chinh during his trip to attend the G7 expanded Summit and pay a working visit to Japan. In the evening of the same day, he and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hiroshima for Hanoi, successfully concluding his trip./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) - State enterprises have worked in synergy to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in Indonesia to promote eco-friendly transportation, State-owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir affirmed."Transition towards electric vehicles will surely improve national energy security. Moreover, the effort will promote cheaper, more eco-friendly transportation in the future," the minister said in a statement received here on Sunday. With its abundant reserves of minerals needed for electric vehicles, Indonesia will contribute significantly to electric vehicle ecosystem development by pursuing collaboration through its state-owned enterprises, he elaborated. Thohir highlighted the companies' collaboration to educate and call for people to use electric vehicles, leaving their fossil fuel-based vehicles. "Through thePeriklindo 2023 Electric Vehicle Show, we greet people in-person and convince them that we, Indonesia, are ready for the transition toward electric vehicle use. We at state-owned enterprises collaborate to form the ecosystem from the upstream to the downstream," the minister remarked. Electric vehicle battery produced by the Indonesian Battery Corporation (IBC) were showcased in the exhibition. The domestically-made product is claimed to have high quality and competitive price, produced by utilizing mineral reserves in Indonesia. Thohirsaid, state electricity company PT PLN plays a crucial role in the transition toward electric vehicles. PLN has supplied electricity from green energy, and, along with the state energy firm PT Pertamina, it establishes the infrastructure for recharging. He informed that the government also issues many policies to help people in the transition to electric vehicles, with one being an Rp7 million (US$468,67) in incentive for each motorbike unit converted to an electric motorbike. Members of the State-owned Bank Association(Himbara) including BNI, BRI, and Mandiri will also assist in the efforts by offering schemes to facilitate purchases of electric vehicles, Thohirsaid.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that concrete actions among the global community are needed to address the threats of climate change.t the G7 Summit's Working with Partner session on climate, energy, and environmental issues in Hiroshima, Japan, Saturday, the president urged all countries to contribute according to their own capacity. "We need to abandon old approaches, such as burden-shifting or propaganda. The earth needs real actions, we should not talk the talk without any concrete results," Jokowi stated in a statement received here on Saturday. The president stated that Indonesia has increased its target of emission reduction by 31.89 percent through its own resources and capabilities and 43.2 percent with international support. "A commitment must be followed by an empowering partnership," he noted. Jokowi also emphasized that climate funding support for developing countries must be more constructive and not discriminating. Climate funding support in the form of debt will only be a burden for receiving countries, he added. "I must say, honestly, that developing countries are dubious about developed countries' funding commitment of US$100 billion annually that has yet to be realized," the president stated. ll countries must play their roles in addressing the threats of climate change, he said, adding that Indonesia has implemented concrete actions to address the issue. "(Indonesia's) deforestation rate has significantly declined and reached its lowest record in 20 years, and our rehabilitation of 600 thousand hectares of mangrove forests will finish by 2024. (We also) rehabilitate 3 million hectares of critical lands, while forest fire declined by 88 percent," Jokowi said. He added that Indonesia has also developed 30 thousand hectares of green industry zones and is committed to pushing for the development of the electric vehicles ecosystem. Earlier, Jokowi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during their bilateral meeting at Hiroshima's Rihga Royal Hotel on Saturday, agreed to push developed countries to realize the commitment to provide climate change fund assistance.

Source: Antara News Agency