Vietnam supports UNSC to have one voice on Israel-Palestine issue

Palestinian firefighters extinguish a fire that broke out after an Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

New York (VNA) – Vietnam has called on all parties to redouble efforts to combat terrorism in the Shahel region and supported the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to have one, strong voice on the Israel – Palestine issue during a video teleconference (VTC) on May 18.

“Vietnam is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel region, especially in the borders among Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, as well as the recent attacks against peacekeepers, defence and security forces,” Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN told the UNSC’s VTC open debate on peace and security in the Sahel region (G5 Sahel).

The event was attended by UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Commander of the G5 Sahel joint force Oumarou Namata, and representatives from G5 Sahel countries.

Quy urged the Sahel countries, United Nations, regional and international organisations to redouble their efforts to fight terrorism and violence extremism and prevent inter-communal conflicts.

The Vietnamese ambassador emphasised that “it is crucial for the Sahel region to have a coherent and integrated approach to security, humanitarian issues along with promoting peace, stability, and socio-development challenges in the Sahel.”

He voiced support the initiatives of A3+1 (Niger, Kenya, Tunisia plus St Vincent and The Grenadines) and France on the establishment of the UN supporting office for G5 Sahel to combat terrorism.

The meeting later discussed the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine, during which Ambassador Quy said “Vietnam joins with other members in expressing our grave concerns about the escalation of tension between Israelis and Palestinians, the rising number of casualties of both sides, and the massive destruction of objects indispensable to the survival of civilian population.”

Now that the situation is on the brink of all-out war, he called on all international and regional actors, especially the Quartet, to intensify their efforts to avoid the scenario of the recurrence of the 2014 catastrophic war, saying conflicts must be resolved through peaceful means.

“It is the time to end the cycle of violence, and it is the time for the Security Council to have one and strong voice on the issue,” he said./.

VNA