Tô Lâm to join Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza to boost the US-Vietnam axis
The Vietnamese leader pledged support for joint efforts to bring peace to Gaza. He promised to work closely with his country’s former enemy in various areas in line with both sides' needs and priorities. Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have joined the new body.
Hanoi (AsiaNews) – Vietnam was one of the first countries to enthusiastically accept the invitation to join the Board of Peace proposed by US President Donald Trump as a key part of the second phase of his peace plan for the Palestinian territory. At the same time, this allows Vietnam to renew its global strategic partnership with Washington.
Tô Lâm, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the country's strongman, confirmed his support for joint efforts to resolve conflicts and disputes through peaceful means.
On 16 January, US President Trump wrote the Vietnamese leader, inviting him to join the board as a founding member state.
According to Vietnamese media, which have widely covered the issue, Tô Lâm enthusiastically accepted the proposal, deeming the establishment of a peace council a necessary step towards ending the conflict, in compliance with last November’s UN Security Council resolution.
The goal, the secretary general's statement notes, is to advance peace-building efforts, humanitarian assistance, and post-conflict reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
In this regard, Tô Lâm pledged his full commitment to working closely with the United States, Vietnam’s former enemy, and the international community to make substantial contributions towards a long-term and comprehensive solution to the Middle East peace process.
In this regard, he also reiterated the need to establish an independent Palestinian state that can coexist peacefully alongside the State of Israel.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tô Lâm finally called for a strengthening of the global strategic partnership with the United States, improving cooperation in various sectors in line with the needs and priorities of both sides.
The controversial Board for Peace in Gaza is expected to include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, along with the heads of state and government of 60 other nations, has received an invitation to participate, at least 20 of whom have already signed up.
The latter include Israel, Egypt, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
Some Western diplomats have however raised doubts and expressed concerns, first and foremost, that the Board would undermine the work of the United Nations.
However, the plan is moving forward quickly. Just this morning in Davos, Switzerland, where the annual economic forum is underway, Trump signed the Charter of the Board of Peace and invited to the stage the representatives of the 20 countries that have so far joined the Board.
In Asia, two Central Asian nations – Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – have expressed their support. Their leaders, who are attending the Davos forum, have been invited by Trump to the G20 summit scheduled for next December.
Kazakhstan is a major energy exporter on the border with China with pipelines to Europe, while Uzbekistan has the largest population in the region.
Furthermore, last year Trump himself hosted the leaders of all five Central Asian countries to strengthen the anti-China axis.
Amid a large Asian presence, there is a conspicuous lack of Palestinian representation, whose people are directly involved in the conflict and the attempt to achieve a long-term peace.
The presence of Turkey and Qatar is certainly not enough to compensate for their absence, although numerous diplomats and representatives of the Arab world have said that their presence – and that of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – is intended to defend and support their cause.
Yesterday, a prominent Arab source, interviewed by the Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, emphasised that Israel's rejection of the Palestinian Authority's presence is the reason that convinced Qatar and Turkey to fill the void.
Conversely, other Arab countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia appear to be more open to involvement and investment in the Palestinian territory, even if critical elements remain.
According to the diplomat, the Saudis strongly dispute the Jewish state's decision to withhold more than US$ 4 billion dollars in tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority, especially since Saudi Arabia has been called upon to help offset some of these losses.
For his part, in a rare and open disagreement with Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu criticised the decision to include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Thawadi in the Gaza Executive Board, deeming the two countries too close to Hamas.
However, for the United States, Turkey and Qatar were essential to reach a ceasefire agreement last October and will continue to be needed to ensure Hamas falls in line.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates area expected to appoint a delegate, according to a joint statement by their respective foreign ministers.
.png)
