Myanmar calls for international aid after earthquake, EU expands sanctions on Belarus, US suspends financial contributions to WTO

Russia proposed to establish an interim government in Ukraine, China warned the Philippines about the risk of conflict in the East Sea, Poland called on Europe to "not kneel" before the US, the Chinese Foreign Minister is about to visit Russia... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

The devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake on the afternoon of March 28 forced Myanmar to call for international assistance. (Source: Reuters/AFP)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia-Pacific

*Myanmar calls for international aid after devastating earthquake: On March 28, Myanmar's military government made a rare appeal for international humanitarian aid and declared a state of emergency in six areas after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country.

"We want the international community to provide humanitarian aid as soon as possible," said Myanmar military government spokesman Zaw Min Tun.

Myanmar has not yet released a casualty figure, but the rare appeal for aid suggests the damage could be extensive.

Myanmar's military government announced a state of emergency has been declared in the six worst-affected areas: Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, Shan State, Naypyidaw and Bago. (AFP)

*China warns Philippines about risk of conflict in the East Sea: China's Foreign Ministry said on March 28 that the Philippines should not initiate conflict in the East Sea with the support of the United States.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun warned that cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not target a third party.

The spokesman made the comment when asked about US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks on March 28 that the United States and the Philippines needed to strengthen deterrence against threats, including China's "aggressive actions." (Reuters)

*Thailand declares capital Bangkok a disaster zone: Authorities in Thailand's capital Bangkok have declared the city a disaster zone after it was hit by tremors from an earthquake in neighboring Myanmar.

At least 67 people are trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangkok, according to Khaosod newspaper. CNN quoted local authorities as saying that at least 50 people were injured in the building collapse in the Thai capital. Thai PBS later reported that at least one worker was killed in the building collapse in Bangkok. (THX)

*Philippines thanks US for long-standing support: Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on March 28 expressed gratitude for the long-standing support of the US treaty ally and affirmed his commitment to work with allies and partners to re-establish regional deterrence against threats.

Speaking during talks with his visiting US counterpart Pete Hegseth, Minister Teodoro highlighted the need to be ready to respond, confront and deter any future threats for the common defense and protection of international law. (Reuters)

*Indian Prime Minister to visit Thailand: The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on March 28 that from April 3-4, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Thailand and attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit hosted by the Southeast Asian country.

Thailand currently holds the chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). In a statement, the MEA said that the visit was made by Prime Minister Modi at the invitation of his host counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra and was his third visit to Thailand.

India and Thailand are maritime neighbours that share civilizational bonds reinforced by cultural, linguistic and religious ties. (Bangkok Post)

*China deploys long-range bombers in the South China Sea: Satellite images from the US aerospace company Maxar Technologies show that this week, China deployed two H-6 long-range bombers around Scarborough Shoal (China calls Huangyan Island). This is Beijing's latest move to assert its sovereignty over this disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The deployment, which was not announced by China, comes ahead of a visit to the Philippines by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. During a visit to Manila on March 28, Hegseth reaffirmed the US's "unwavering commitment" to its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, saying China's actions made deterrence necessary in the South China Sea. (Reuters)

Europe

*Turkey values ​​cooperation with Russia: Turkish President's Office said that in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on March 28, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that cooperation between Ankara and Moscow plays an important role in resolving regional conflicts.

The discussion between President Erdogan and President Putin focused on the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Syria, the promotion of strategic projects in the energy sector as well as the possibility of continuing the implementation of the Black Sea maritime safety initiative, creating favorable conditions for Russia to export agricultural products. (AFP)

*Polish Prime Minister calls on Europe to “not kneel” before the US: On March 27, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Europe must ensure the transatlantic relationship is maintained and approach the US with common sense but “not kneel” when the European Union (EU) faces tariffs from Washington.

The statement by the Polish prime minister, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, came a day after US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars, sparking threats of retaliation from trading partners.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, Prime Minister Tusk said: “Because we have heard many statements from across the Atlantic showing a lack of sympathy for Europe... (AFP)

*Russia attacks storage facilities in Ukraine's Poltava region: On March 28, the Poltava region government in central Ukraine said Russia carried out an attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that caused damage to storage facilities and an administrative building in the region.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 89 of the 163 UAVs launched overnight. The air force added that 51 UAVs failed to reach their targets due to Ukrainian electronic warfare.

In the Odessa region of southern Ukraine, UAVs injured one person and set fires in residential areas, according to the state emergency service. (Reuters)

*Chinese Foreign Minister to visit Russia: Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on March 28 that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Russia next week.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed: “At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov... Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia from March 31 to April 2.” (AFP)

*Russia proposes to establish an interim government in Ukraine: Russian media on March 28 unanimously quoted President Vladimir Putin proposing to put Ukraine under temporary administration to hold elections and sign important agreements to resolve the current conflict.

The Russian leader's above stance seems to reaffirm his previously stated view that the current Ukrainian government is not a legitimate negotiating partner because President Volodymyr Zelensky remains in power after his term ends in May 2024.

Regarding relations with Washington, President Putin said that his US counterpart Donald Trump really wants to end the conflict in Ukraine. Accordingly, Mr. Trump has tried to promote direct dialogue with Russia, an approach that is completely opposite to that of his predecessor Joe Biden. (Reuters)

*EU expands sanctions against Belarus: European Union (EU) member states on March 27 announced sanctions against 25 more individuals and 7 entities from Belarus for what the EU said was the undermining of democracy and the rule of law in Belarus.

The EU Council said that among those sanctioned was the Central Election Commission of Belarus.

In January, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, extended his 31-year rule after election officials declared him the winner of a presidential election that Western governments rejected as fraudulent. (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

*Iran warns of retaliation if the US launches a military attack: On March 28, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf announced that Tehran would attack US bases in the region if Washington launches a military attack on Iran when a new nuclear deal is not reached.

US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warning: "There are two ways to deal with Iran: militarily, or you have to make a deal."

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei called Trump's message a lie, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on March 27 that negotiations were impossible unless Washington changed its policy of "maximum pressure." (Reuters)

*Syria and Lebanon sign border security agreement: On March 28, the official Saudi Arabian news agency (SPA) reported that Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra signed an agreement in Jeddah "to address security and military threats" along the shared border area.

The deal comes after border clashes this month left 10 people dead.

The news also said that the two sides signed an agreement on "the strategic importance of border demarcation, the establishment of Syrian-Lebanese legal and technical committees... and the activation of coordination mechanisms to address security and military threats", especially in the border area. (AFP)

*Egypt ready to support Lebanon's reconstruction: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed on March 27 that Cairo is ready to support Lebanon's reconstruction and infrastructure development. This statement was made by Foreign Minister Abdelatty during a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Liban Youssef Raji.

In addition, the head of the Egyptian foreign ministry also highlighted the importance of maintaining and implementing the ceasefire agreement in southern Lebanon; calling on Israel to withdraw its troops completely and immediately, and empowering the Lebanese army to implement Resolution 1701 of the United Nations Security Council (UN).

Meanwhile, the UN peacekeeping force also expressed concern about the increased violence between Israel and Lebanon, and called on all parties to protect the safety of civilians. (Al Jazeera)

America - Latin America

*Ukraine and the US have not yet agreed on a mineral agreement: On March 28, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak announced that consultations with the US on the mineral agreement are still ongoing and the two sides have not yet agreed on the final draft.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the US of changing the terms of Ukraine's mineral deal. According to Mr. Zelensky, instead of a framework agreement, the US is proposing a full agreement.

The Financial Times quoted Ukrainian officials as saying that the US was seeking new conditions for access to key resources and energy assets in Ukraine, expanding economic demands on Kiev, including control of some assets such as Ukraine's nuclear power plants. (AFP)

*US in no rush to hold high-level talks with Russia: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 27 (local time) it was too early to expect high-level talks with Russia, while the White House was considering Moscow's response to Washington's efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Asked whether it was time for higher-level talks after the US’s indirect talks with Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, Secretary Rubio said: “I think we have to make more progress on the technical side. There’s a lot of work to do on both sides, especially with Russia, because we haven’t had a dialogue in many years.”

President Trump has repeatedly expressed hope to meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin soon, possibly in Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

*US suspends financial contributions to WTO: Informed sources revealed that the US has temporarily suspended financial contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the context of President Donald Trump's administration stepping up efforts to cut government spending.

Two sources directly involved in the WTO budget meeting in March said a US representative had announced that the country's contributions to the WTO budget for 2024 and 2025 were being suspended while Washington reviewed its contributions to international organizations.

A third source also confirmed the information and said the WTO is developing a "Plan B" in case the funding suspension is prolonged, but did not give details. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-ngay-283-myanmar-keu-goi-vien-tro-quoc-te-sau-dong-dat-eu-mo-rong-trung-phat-belarus-my-dung-dong-gop-tai-chinh-cho-wto-309203.html