Putin, Macron discuss situation in Lebanon, Ukraine by phone

8/14/2020 - 9:53:26 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation on Wednesday (August 12), discussing the situation in Lebanon, Ukraine and Belarus, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"Putin and Macron discussed in detail the situation in the Republic of Lebanon, focusing on the steps taken by Russia and France to provide humanitarian assistance to the people in Lebanon after the explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4," it said.

Macron shared the impressions of his recent visit to Lebanon, as well as the results of a videoconference organized by France on Aug. 9 to rally international aid for that country.

"During the exchange of views on internal political developments in Lebanon, the Russian side reaffirmed its position in support of the republic's national unity and sovereignty," said the statement.

The need to resolve any controversy via a process consisting of and led by the Lebanese, based on constructive dialogue and without external interference, was also underscored, it added.

The presidents also considered various aspects of the situation in Ukraine. They praised the additional ceasefire measures that were approved at the Minsk contact group meeting on July 22.

Putin reiterated the importance of strict fulfillment by Ukraine of its obligations concerning the political aspects of the Minsk Agreements. It was agreed to continue this joint work within the Normandy format.

The current situation in Belarus was also touched on, according to the statement.

Source: Xinhua

Challenges from population aging

Many countries are grappling with rapidly aging population. As population aging becomes an irreversible global trend with significant impacts on economic and social sectors, nations face the urgent task of creating flexible policies to adapt to and make the most of this trend to build prosperous and sustainable societies.

World tourism industry promotes potential and cohesion

With a series of stimulus measures, the world tourism industry is on the way to recovery as before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Facing the opportunity to take off, the "smokeless industry” is expected to strongly contribute to global economic growth while promoting potential and cohesion, contributing to peace and sustainable development.

Existential danger from COVID-19 pandemic

The danger from the COVID-19 pandemic is still latent, threatening people’s health and lives in the context that the immunity provided from the COVID-19 vaccine has decreased. Many other dangerous diseases are also likely to break out when the global vaccination rate slows down, due to inequality in access to health services, vaccine hesitancy, and consequences of economic recession.

Vietnam among ASEAN countries recording EV sales surge

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is witnessing a rise in the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB Research).

International friends bid farewell to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

The respect paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, with high-level delegations from foreign countries and international organisations paying their last respects and expressing deep condolences.

Global outpouring of grief for Vietnamese Party chief

A wave of condolences have poured in from world leaders, international organisations, rulling parties, Communist parties and partner parties following the death of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.