supporting Israel | July 6, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Esawi Freige, last yea
Israel, Palestinian Authority to Form Joint Committee for Economic Ventures
The revamped panel from the Oslo Accords era will aim to deliver 17,000 more work permits to Palestinian for construction and industry jobs in Israel, and will be headed by Meretz's Esawi Freige

Jul 6 - Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Freige is working to establish an Israeli-Palestinian committee to promote economic progress and remove obstacles to the Palestinian Authority’s economic activity.

Freige is coordinating the move with senior Palestinian officials, firstly the PA’s Civilian Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh. This is the first initiative with the PA that the government has launched since coming to power last month.

During its first meeting, expected within a few weeks, the committee is expected to advance two Palestinian requests that have already been made. The first is to issue an additional 17,000 work permits to Palestinian laborers to work in construction and industry in Israel. The second is to help advance the regularization of the Palestinian Fuel Administration, following a reform being pushed by the Palestinian Energy Ministry regarding the purchase of fuel for the PA’s use. At the same time, Palestinian ministers are expected to visit the offices of their Israeli counterparts to promote further coordination between the two sides...     more

Frej was born in Kafr Qasim, Israel, to a Muslim-Arab family.[1][dead link] His grandfather was killed in the Kafr Qasim massacre,[2] Frej is the eldest of twelve children. In 1982, he began studying accounting and economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and later worked as an accountant.[3] Whilst at university, he joined the joint Jewish-Arab "Campus" group, and subsequently joined the Ratz party, which later merged into Meretz. He served on the secretariat of Peace Now, and was involved in the Geneva Accord.

Frej is married, with seven children. They reside in Kafr Qasim.     from Wikipedia

---

俄罗斯三地同时“秀肌肉” 普京签新版《国家安全战略》 警告西方！20210705 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jul 6, 2021

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Russia to respond harshly to unfriendly US steps, Lavrov says
believes that the Russian-US summit was frank and business-like, but still has no illusions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed

Jul 6 - Moscow plans to respond harshly to Washington’s possible unfriendly steps, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Indonesian newspaper Rakyat Merdeka.

"Russian leader [Vladimir Putin] clearly stated, including in public, that the result in all directions is possible only through finding a mutually acceptable balance of interests strictly on a parity basis. No objection sounded at the talks [with US President Joe Biden in Geneva]. However, almost immediately after they were over US officials, including participants of the Geneva meeting, with redoubled force started their previous lectures: well, we "told Moscow, we clearly warned and outlined demands." By the way, all these warnings come along with threats: if Russia "within several months" fails to accept "the rules of the game" outlined in Geneva it will be subject to new pressure," Lavrov said.

"The attempts to hold dialogue with us from the position of force are initially doomed to failure: we will respond harshly and resolutely to unfriendly steps. There is the need for fair cooperation if Washington really wants stable and predicted relations, as it says," Russia’s top diplomat said.

Moscow believes that the Russian-US summit was frank and business-like, but still has no illusions, Lavrov stressed.

"Meanwhile, we are satisfied, that the sides, which made principled statements, showed a wish to understand each other. It should be considered that the key outcome is a modest but still a step forward towards restoring normal relations between our countries, which as we are strongly convinced, are impossible without mutual respect and taking into account each other’s interests," Lavrov said.     source from

《花生漫畫》西元1953年七月/"Peanuts" on July 6, 1953
https://yaoleechen.weebly.com
https://smashwords2.weebly.com/3.html
https://yaoleechen.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/1953-july/
https://yaoleec.blogspot.com/2021/07/ill-go-so-far-away-july-5-2021.html
https://yaoleechen.pixnet.net/blog/post/269634896
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts-begins/1953/07/06
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373798837830779849
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/647181408957209120
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683350943465060573
https://yaoleechen.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/070653t.jpg

Crimea | July 3th 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused the United States of being behind a provocation action by a British Royal Navy destroyer in Black Sea in late last month.
Kremlin says US was behind British destroyer provocation

Jul 5 - Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that provocations similar to the one involving the British destroyer HMS Defender in Russia’s territorial waters off Crimea are masterminded in the United States.

The Ministry of Defence as announcing on Wednesday, June 30 that a Russian warship fired warning shots after a British Royal Navy destroyer violated Russia's maritime borders in the Black Sea.

The British warship ventured three kilometers into the Russian territorial waters. A Russian guard ship fired warning shots while a Su-24M bomber dropped bombs in the UK warship’s path to chase it out of Crimean waters.

The Russian Defense Ministry slammed the UK destroyer’s operations as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and urged the British side to investigate the warship crew’s actions. London claims that the destroyer was conducting an "innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters." According to the UK, the Russian military did not fire any shots at the destroyer but conducted "a gunnery exercise."

Also on June 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that not only the UK, but the US also took part in the HMS Defender provocation off Crimea.     source from

Crimea is a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe that is almost completely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. Crimea is located south of the Ukrainian region of Kherson, to which it is connected by the Isthmus of Perekop, and west of the Russian region of Kuban, from which it is separated by the Strait of Kerch though linked by the Crimean Bridge since 2018. The Arabat Spit is located to the northeast, a narrow strip of land that separates a system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov. Across the Black Sea to its west is Romania, and to its south, Turkey...     more

Medieval history
In the 9th century CE, Byzantium established the Theme of Cherson to defend against incursions by the Rus' Khaganate. The Crimean peninsula from this time was contested between Byzantium, Rus' and Khazaria. The area remained the site of overlapping interests and contact between the early medieval Slavic, Turkic and Greek spheres. It became a center of slave trade. Slavs were sold to Byzantium and other places in Anatolia and the Middle-East during this period.[citation needed] The peninsula was wrested from the Byzantines by the Kievan Rus' in the 10th century; the last Byzantine outpost, Chersonesus was taken in 988 AD. A year later, Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev accepted the hand of Emperor Basil II's sister Anna in marriage, and was baptized by the local Byzantine priest at Chersonesus, thus marking the entry of Rus' (later Russia) into the Christian world.

Belarus closes border with Ukraine, claiming arms smuggling

July 5 - Belarus has closed its border with Ukraine, claiming that arms are being smuggled into the country.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says it is part of an attempt by outside powers to overthrow his authoritarian regime.

Mr Lukashenko claimed – without providing proof – that his security services had uncovered a foreign-backed terrorist sleeper cells plotting to oust him from power.

“They have crossed the line. We cannot forgive them,” he said.

He alleged the weapons were being shipped to terrorist cells funded by Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the US.

“A huge amount of weapons is coming from Ukraine to Belarus. That’s why I ordered border-security forces to fully close the border with Ukraine,” Lukashenko said, at a ceremony marking the country’s 30 years of independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Belarus shares a border with Ukraine in the south. It borders Poland and Lithuania in the west, Latvia in the north, and Russia in the east.

The move deepens a standoff between Belarus, the EU, the UK and the US, all of which have imposed sanctions on Belarus.

In May his government prompted international outrage when it forced a Ryanair flight to land and arrested of a government critic who was onboard.

Lukashenko has also banned all citizens of Belrus from going abroad.

Many dissidents have left Belarus since a disputed election last year.

In its statement on the Telegram messaging service, the border committee says it has received “many requests to leave Belarus on the strength of residence permits [issued] by foreign countries”.

Only those with permanent residence in foreign countries – not temporary – are allowed to leave Belarus now, it says. The border committee blamed the measures on the coronavirus pandemic.

President Alexander Lukashenko’s harsh crackdown on opponents since his disputed August 9 election victory has sent many into exile or to jail.     source from

北约黑海大举调兵 俄测试潜艇无声威慑！20210703 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jul 4, 2021

EU new members blocking attempts to set tone in dialogue with Russia - Peskov
According to the Kremlin spokesman, it is difficult to establish dialogue with Europe in the current situation when the recently admitted EU members are literally provoking tensions

Jul 5 - ...According to the Kremlin spokesman, it is difficult to establish dialogue with Europe in the current situation when the recently admitted EU members are literally provoking tensions. "Let us take, for example, the Baltic countries. These countries receive American fighter jets on their territories and are sparing no effort to invite foreign troops, take them closer to our borders. These countries are saying day after day that they see Russia as a threat and bear this threat on their shoulders. But deploying American troops on their territories they only whip up tensions in relations," Peskov said.

Although these nations never take independent decisions, they are "a kind of instigators." "At least they are the heralds of tension. These are countries that seek assistance from all EU mechanisms, development programs and common funds," which are formed by the EU’s advanced economies, such Germany and France, he stressed.     quoted from

Bagram | July 3rd 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Then-President Donald Trump visiting troops at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on November 28, 2019.
US troops pulled out of a pivotal air base in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, a major step toward total withdrawal

Jul. 4 - US troops have departed the military air base at Bagram, the most significant step to date toward the complete American military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Control of Bagram Airfield, which was central to US operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, has been ceded to the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces, The Associated Press reported Friday, citing US officials.

The base was captured during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan almost 20 years ago and had been continuously occupied by US forces until this week.

The move is a clear step toward President Joe Biden's aim to complete the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

At the time of Biden's April announcement of the timeline, there were about 3,500 US troops in the country, according to The New York Times. As many as 1,000 US troops are expected to remain in the country to guard the US Embassy in the capital, Kabul, CNN reported.

Most of the 7,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan have already left, the AP said.

The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan began under President Donald Trump, who cut a deal with Taliban forces in February 2020 under which all troops were to leave by May 1. The US missed that deadline.
—lyse doucet (@bbclysedoucet) July 2, 2021

On June 25, Biden said during a meeting at the White House with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that it was time for Afghanistan to cut its own path.

"Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want," Biden said. "The senseless violence has to stop."
With the impending withdrawal of US troops comes fears that Afghanistan will sink into civil war, as the Taliban have made substantial territorial gains in recent months.

Deborah Lyons, the UN envoy for Afghanistan, said on June 22 that the Taliban had taken control of 50 of the country's 370 districts since May, Reuters reported.

Gen. Austin S. Miller, the top US general in Afghanistan, said Tuesday that he was concerned the situation could deteriorate further.

"A civil war is certainly a path that can be visualized if this continues on the trajectory it's on right now, that should be of concern to the world," Miller told the AP.     source from

Related Article:
US vacates key Afghan base; pullout target now ‘late August’

https://reporterly.net/

Date published on March 5, 2020

Deborah Lyons Appointed as Head of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Deborah Lyons of Canada as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Ms. Lyons succeeds Tadamichi Yamamoto of Japan, who has served in this critical role since 2016.

UN in a press release said, “The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Yamamoto’s important contribution and service to UNAMA since taking up his role as Deputy Special Representative in 2014 and then Special Representative.”

Ms. Lyons is a diplomat with 21 years of professional experience in political affairs, international cooperation and economic development.

Most recently, she served as Ambassador of Canada to Israel, and from 2013 to 2016, as Ambassador to Afghanistan.     source from

Friends of Afghanistan Urge NATO, EU to Continue Support for Afghanistan

Jul. 3 - In a letter signed by prominent leaders and individuals worldwide, friends and supporters of Afghanistan urged NATO and the European Union that as U.S. and NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, “we must not abandon the Afghan people and their democratic republic.”

The letter signed by former foreign ministers, former ambassadors to Afghanistan, diplomats, along with a range of civil society groups and leaders states that while NATO armed forces are leaving Afghanistan, “it is the obligation of all NATO and European countries to continue to strongly stand by our Afghan partners.” The letter urges NATO and the EU to continue the financial support to the Afghan state, protect the human rights of Afghan women and girls, and continue to provide “robust financial” support to the Afghan national security forces...     more

Russian aircraft conduct training fights above Black Sea amid NATO exercise
An international naval exercise codenamed Sea Breeze-2021 is being held in the Black Sea with NATO countries and Ukraine taking part

July 3 - The naval aviation of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, jointly with the Southern Military District air forces, carried out training flights above the Black Sea amid the Sea Breeze 2021 exercises of NATO and its partners in the region, the Black Sea fleet’s press service said in a statement on Saturday.

"Plane crews of the Black Sea fleet’s naval aviation and air defense units, jointly with the Southern Military District’s aviation, carried out training flights above the Black Sea, practicing missile and bomb attacks on vessels of a notional enemy. The Black Sea fleet’s naval aviation was represented by Su-30SM multirole fighter jets and Su-24M front-line bombers, the Southern Military District - by Su-34 fighter bombers and Su-27 air superiority fighter jets," the statement says.

As part of the exercises, a Be-12 amphibious aircraft carried out target reconnaissance in the Black Sea. A notional enemy’s naval task force was imitated by two large landing ships, the Saratov and the Orsk.

At the moment, an international naval exercise codenamed Sea Breeze-2021 is being held in the Black Sea with NATO countries and Ukraine taking part. This largest naval exercise in more than 20 years will last till July 10. The drills are expected to involve about 4,000 personnel, 40 warships, boats and auxiliary vessels and over 100 vehicles, including armored ones.     source from

---

北约军舰“车轮战”挑衅俄 普京：再有下一次就开火！20210702 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jul 3, 2021

《花生漫畫》西元1953年七月/"Peanuts" on July 5, 1953
https://yaoleechen2.weebly.com/1.html
https://smashwords2.weebly.com/3.html
https://yaoleechen.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/1953-july
https://turtlesallthewaydowns.wordpress.com/2021/07/03/1953-july/
https://yaoleec.blogspot.com/2021/07/ill-go-so-far-away-july-5-2021.html
https://yaoleechen.pixnet.net/blog/post/269634896
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts-begins/1953/07/05
https://www.flickr.com/photos/184862255@N02/?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373798837830758449
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/647181408957121025
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683350943464971963
https://yaoleechen.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/070553t.png

Sirojiddin Muhriddin | July 2nd 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken face reporters as they meet at the State Department in Washington on July 1.
Blinken Meets Top Tajik, Uzbek Diplomats, With Afghanistan In Sharp Focus

Jul 2 - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the top diplomats of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on July 1, with Afghanistan high on the agenda as U.S. forces prepare to exit the war-torn country and Washington seeks Central Asian partners.

meetings in Washington come as the Taliban has taken control of dozens of districts in recent weeks, raising concerns that the Western-backed government in Kabul and Afghan security forces may collapse.

The Taliban sweep across northern Afghanistan has put several districts bordering Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the insurgency’s hands, presenting a possible security threat to the two Central Asian countries.
Tajik officials are preparing for a possible influx of refugees, while Uzbekistan last month announced military drills along the border...     more

ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER’S CALL WITH ABDULAZIZ KAMILOV, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Monday, June 28, 2021

The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:‎
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power spoke with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov to discuss Uzbekistan’s reform agenda and its wide-ranging economic, judicial, educational, and social implications, and to underscore the importance of human rights and freedom of speech. The Foreign Minister described Uzbekistan’s reforms including advancing economic competition and inviting OSCE involvement in the upcoming election. Administrator Power reiterated USAID's commitment to development cooperation in Uzbekistan as evidenced by the recent opening of the USAID Mission in Tashkent.

Administrator Power and Foreign Minister Kamilov further discussed opportunities to strengthen development cooperation in Central Asia, where Uzbekistan has provided multifaceted support for the Afghan peace process and by advancing connectivity between Afghanistan and Central Asia through trade, transport, and energy projects. The Administrator encouraged Uzbekistan’s continued involvement in bringing about a sustainable peace dialogue.     source from

Secretary Blinken’s camera spray with Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin
July 1, 2021

Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin Before Their Meeting

Meet on July 1st, 2021

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon, everyone.  It is a pleasure to welcome my colleague, Foreign Minister Muhriddin, here from Tajikistan.  We’re very, very pleased to be able to resume our annual bilateral consultations, something that had been in abeyance for the last several years.  We have a lot of work to do across a whole series of important issues that bring our countries together, whether it’s security, economic issues, development, democracy.  And I’m very, very pleased, Mr. Minister, to have you and your team here.  The minister has a very full program with a number of colleagues across the administration, including Secretary of Defense Austin, and we have, I know, good and hopefully productive work to be done.  So thank you very much for being here.

FOREIGN MINISTER MUHRIDDIN:  Thank you very much.  I am very glad to be here.  Of course, during these days we will discuss our bilateral issues, other regional and international, of course, issues.  We have very good format of cooperation also for regional issues, C5+1 --

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Yes.

FOREIGN MINISTER MUHRIDDIN:  And the most important issue, it is Afghanistan, and on these issues and on fighting against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and other important regional issues, the United States are a really reliable partner, and I hope that today and tomorrow we will again to consider all of these issues.  And next year we will celebrate 30 years of our bilateral diplomatic relations between our two countries.  And we will do our best for strengthening of our bilateral cooperation with our reliable partner, the United States.  Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much.  Thank you, all.     source from

Wang Yi Holds Talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin

Date published on May 11, 2021

...Wang Yi said, as brothers, good neighbors, and "iron friends", China and Tajikistan should take the lead in building a community with shared development and a community with shared security and go ahead of China's relations with the other Central Asian countries. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the independence of Tajikistan and next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tajikistan, ushering the bilateral relations into a fresh historic chapter and providing them with new development opportunities. The phone conversation between the two heads of state days ago has charted a course for the development of China-Tajikistan relations. We should earnestly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue enhancing the "gold content" of bilateral relations, consolidate the foundation of political mutual trust, upgrade the scale and quality of cooperation, push China-Tajikistan relations for a new development stage, and make new contribution to deepening the cooperation of China with Central Asian countries. China highly appreciates Tajikistan's firm support on issues concerning the country's core interests, such as those concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. China will continue to staunchly support Tajikistan in taking a development path suited to its own national conditions and safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly oppose any interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs by external forces...     quoted from

Blinken discusses Afghan peace with Uzbek, Tajik counterparts

Jul 2 -  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday discussed peace and cooperation in Afghanistan with his Uzbek and Tajik counterparts during separate bilateral meetings in Washington.

"The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister (Abdulaziz Kamilov) for Uzbekistan's continued support for a just and durable peace settlement in Afghanistan. He also welcomed Uzbekistan's focus on regional connectivity, including closer political and economic cooperation with Afghanistan in ways that would support prosperity and growth across Central and South Asia," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

In a separate meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Muhriddin, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the strength and importance of the US-Tajikistan bilateral ties and expressed his appreciation for Muhriddin's continued leadership on regional security issues.

Blinken and the Tajik Foreign Minister agreed that a just and durable settlement in Afghanistan would advance regional economic growth and integration, the State Department said.

"The Secretary expressed a desire for further bilateral collaboration on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as economic development, and affirmed the U.S. commitment to Tajikistan's security, stability, and territorial integrity," the statement added.

Tajik Foreign Minister likewise agreed that a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan would advance integration and economic growth in the region, Sputnik reported.

According to the state department, Blinken expressed a desire to further human rights, freedom, and economic development in Central Asia, including through the C5+1 diplomatic platform.

Back in April, Blinken hosted a virtual C5+1 Ministerial for the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan today. The C5+1 aims to enhance cooperation and coordination with, and among, Central Asian countries plus the US.     source from

《花生漫畫》西元1953年七月/"Peanuts" on Jul. 2nd, 1953
https://yaoleechen.weebly.com
https://smashwords2.weebly.com/3.html
https://yaoleechen.wordpress.com/2021/06/01/1953-june/
https://yaoleec.blogspot.com/2021/06/lucy-plays-in-center-field-jun-29-2021.html
https://yaoleechen.pixnet.net/blog/post/269634896
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts-begins/1953/07/02
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373798837830749598
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/647181408957092610/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683350943464942286/
https://yaoleechen.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/070253t.jpg

《花生漫畫》西元1953年月/"Peanuts" on Jul. 3rd, 1953
https://yaoleechen.weebly.com
https://smashwords2.weebly.com/3.html
https://yaoleechen.wordpress.com/2021/06/01/1953-june/
https://yaoleec.blogspot.com/2021/06/lucy-plays-in-center-field-jun-29-2021.html
https://yaoleechen.pixnet.net/blog/post/269634896
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts-begins/1953/07/03
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373798837830749602/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/647181408957092618/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683350943464942289/
https://yaoleechen.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/070353t.jpg

《花生漫畫》西元1953年月/"Peanuts" on Jul. 4th, 1953
https://yaoleechen.weebly.com
https://smashwords2.weebly.com/3.html
https://yaoleechen.wordpress.com/2021/06/01/1953-june/
https://yaoleec.blogspot.com/2021/06/lucy-plays-in-center-field-jun-29-2021.html
https://yaoleechen.pixnet.net/blog/post/269634896
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts-begins/1953/07/04
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373798837830749829
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/647181408957092612/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683350943464942291/
https://yaoleechen.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/070453t.jpg