
VOA Uzbek: EU boosts its Central Asia strategy
As the U.S. seeks to strengthen ties with resource-rich Central Asia, the European Union is also reaching out to the region. Having adopted a new strategy for Central Asia in 2019, the bloc appears to be making renewed efforts to implement it. EU Commissioner for External Relations Jozef Sikela has begun a tour of the region ahead of an EU-Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan in April.
Click here for the full story in Uzbek.

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Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Voice of America
VOA Uzbek: Human rights group urges Uzbekistan to uphold reforms
Uzbekistan "has made significant progress in eliminating widespread state-imposed forced labor," according to the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights. The group is urging the Uzbek government to implement its promised reforms and create an enabling environment for freedom of association and civil society, which play a key role in monitoring and reporting violations and abuses. Click here for the full story in Uzbek.


Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Voice of America
ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ຂົ່ມຂູ່ຈະເກັບພາສີຢ່າງໃຫຍ່ຕໍ່ເຫຼົ້າ ຂອງ ຢູໂຣບ
ປະທານາທິບໍດີ ສະຫະລັດ ທ່ານ ດໍໂນລ ທຣຳ ໄດ້ຂົ່ມຂູ່ສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ ເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດວານນີ້ວ່າຈະຂຶ້ນພາສີ 200 ເປີເຊັນຕໍ່ເຫຼົ້າໄວນ໌, ແຊມເປນ ແລະ ເຫຼົ້າອື່ນໆທີ່ຜະລິດໃນກຸ່ມ 27 ປະເທດນັ້ນຫຼັງຈາກ ສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ ຮຽກເກັບສິ່ງທີ່ທ່ານກ່າວວ່າເປັນ 'ພາສີ 50 ເປີເຊັນທີ່ເປັນຕາຂີ້ດຽດ' ຕໍ່ວິສກີຂອງ ອາເມຣິກາ. ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ໄດ້ໂຕ້ແຍ້ງໃນຂໍ້ຄວາມທີ່ຂຽນລົງໃນສື່ສັງຄົມ Truth Social ຂອງທ່ານເອງວ່າ ສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ ແມ່ນ 'ນຶ່ງໃນອຳນາການປົກຄອງທີ່ອັນຕະລາຍ ແລະ ລະເມີດການເກັບພາສີ ແລະ ເກັບພາສີທີ່ຮຸນແຮງທີ່ສຸດໃນໂລກ' ໂດຍກ່າວວ່າ ສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ ຖືກກໍ່ຕັ້ງຂຶ້ນໃນປີ 1993 'ເພື່ອຈຸດປະສົງດຽວໃນການເອົາປຽບສະຫະລັດ ອາເມຣິກາ' ທາງເສດຖະກິດ. ຕໍ່ມານັກຂ່າວຢູ່ທຳນຽບຂາວຖາມວ່າ ທ່ານຈະຍອມຫຼຸດລະດັບການຂູ່ຂຶ້ນພາສີກັບພັນທະມິດທາງພູມສາການເມືອງຂອງອາເມຣິກາຫຼືບໍ່, ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ຕອບວ່າ 'ເຮົາຖືກສໍ້ໂກງມາຫຼາຍປີແລ້ວ ແລະ ເຮົາຈະບໍ່ຖືກໂກງອີກຕໍ່ໄປ, ບໍ່, ຂ້ອຍຈະບໍ່ຫຼຸດຜ່ອນເລີຍ, ບໍ່ວ່າຈະເປັນອາລູມີນຽມ ຫຼື ເຫຼັກ ຫຼື ລົດກໍຕາມ.' ໃນເດືອນທີ່ຜ່ານມາ, ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ໄດ້ເປີດສາກຕໍ່ສູ້ເລື່ອງພາສີຕອບໂຕ້ກັນກັບພັນທະມິດທາງການຄ້າລາຍໃຫຍ່ທີ່ສຸດຂອງ ສະຫະລັດ ໄດ້ແກ່ ເມັກຊິໂກ, ການາດາ, ຈີນ ແລະ ສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ ໂດຍທ່ານກ່າວວ່າເປັນຄວາມພະຍາຍາມທີ່ຈະຢຸດຢັ້ງການໄຫຼວຽນຂອງຢາເສບຕິດ ໂດຍສະເພາະຢາເຟັນຕານິລຈາກ ເມັກຊິໂກ ແລະ ການາດາ ເຂົ້າສູ່ ສະຫະລັດ ລວມເຖິງພະຍາຍາມຮຽກຮ້ອງຜູ້ຜະລິດໃຫ້ປິດການດຳເນີນງານໃນຕ່າງປະເທດ ແລະ ຍ້າຍພວກເຂົາມາ ສະຫະລັດ ເພື່ອສ້າງງານໃຫ້ກັບຊາວອາເມຣິກັນຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ. ໃນວັນພຸດວານນີ້ ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ໄດ້ຮຽກເກັບພາສີ 25 ເປີເຊັນສຳລັບການສົ່ງອອກເຫຼັກ ແລະ ອາລູມີນຽມມາຍັງ ສະຫະລັດ ຈາກ 35 ປະເທດ ລວມເຖິງກຸ່ມສະຫະພາບ ຢູໂຣບ. ຢູໂຣບ ໄດ້ຕອບໂຕ້ຢ່າງວ່ອງໄວດ້ວຍການເກັບພາສີນຳເຂົ້າສິນຄ້າຂອງ ສະຫະລັດ ມູນຄ່າ 28,000 ໂດລາໄປຍັງປະເທດຕ່າງໆ ທີ່ມີຄວາມສຳພັນໃກ້ຊິດກັບ ສະຫະລັດ ມາດົນນານ, ໃນຂະນະດຽວກັນ ການາດາ ກໍໄດ້ເກັບພາສີນຳເຂົ້າສິນຄ້າຂອງ ສະຫະລັດ ມູນຄ່າ 20,700 ລ້ານໂດລາໄປຍັງເພື່ອນບ້ານຕອນເໜືອຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າເຊັ່ນກັນ. ການາດາ ຍັງໄດ້ຂໍໃຫ້ອົງການການຄ້າໂລກ ຫາລືກໍລະນີຄວາມຂັດແຍ້ງກັບ ສະຫະລັດ ກ່ຽວກັບ ການເກັບພາສີນຳເຂົ້າຜະລິດຕະພັນເຫຼັກ ແລະ ອາລູມີນຽມບາງລາຍຈາກ ການາດາ, ອົງການການຄ້ານັ້ນກ່າວເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດວານນີ້. ອ່ານຂ່າວນີ້ເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened the European Union with 200% tariffs on wine, champagne and other spirits produced in the 27-nation bloc after the EU levied what he said was "a nasty 50% tariff" on American-distilled whiskey. Trump contended in a post on his Truth Social media platform that the EU is "one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World." He said it was formed in 1993 "for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States" economically. Later, asked by a reporter at the White House whether he might back off his heightened tariff threats against America's geopolitical allies, Trump said, "We've been ripped off for years, and we're not going to be ripped off anymore. No, I'm not going to bend at all — aluminum or steel or cars." In the past month, Trump has been waging a tit-for-tat tariff fight with the United States' biggest trading partners — Mexico, Canada, China and the EU — in what he says is an effort to stanch the flow of drugs, especially fentanyl, into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada, and to persuade manufacturers to close their operations overseas and move them to the U.S. to create more American jobs. On Wednesday, Trump levied 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. from 35 countries, including the EU bloc. Europe quickly retaliated with its own tariffs on $28 billion worth of U.S. exports to countries that have long had close relations with the U.S., while Canada imposed new tariffs on $20.7 billion worth of U.S. exports to its northern neighbor. Canada also requested World Trade Organization dispute consultations with the U.S. over its imposition of import duties on certain steel and aluminum products from Canada, the trade body said on Thursday.


Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Ukraine peace, global security top G7 agenda as diplomats convene in Canada
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven leading industrial nations gathered Thursday in Charlevoix, Quebec, as host country Canada outlined its top agenda, focusing on achieving a 'just and lasting peace in Ukraine' and strengthening security and defense partnerships as the G7 marks 50 years. During the opening remarks, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, 'Peace and stability is on the top of our agenda, and I look forward to discussing how we can continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal aggression.' Joly also emphasized the importance of addressing maritime security challenges, citing threats such as 'growing the use of growing shadow fleets, dark vessels' and 'sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he hopes a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could take place within days if the Kremlin agrees. He also plans to urge G7 foreign ministers to focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The G7 talks in Quebec follow U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine said it is ready to accept a U.S. proposal for "an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire." "Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote Wednesday in a post on social media platform X. He added that "Ukraine was ready for an air and sea ceasefire," and "welcomed" the U.S. proposal to extend it to land. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia supports the U.S. ceasefire proposal in principle, but key details still need to be worked out. 'Ceasefire, they can't be coming with conditions, because all these conditions just blur the picture. Either you want to end this war, or you don't want to end this war, so we need to be very firm,' said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas during an interview with CNN International. 'What we need to keep in mind is that Russia has invested, like over 9% of its GDP on the military, so they would want to use it,' Kallas said, adding the European nations 'are massively increasing' their 'defense investments.' The G7 talks bring together ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Rubio has underscored the need for monitors if a ceasefire is implemented. He told reporters on Wednesday that 'one of the things we'll have to determine is who do both sides trust to be on the ground to sort of monitor some of the small arms fire and exchanges that could happen.' Beyond Ukraine, G7 foreign ministers also discussed China's role in global security, Indo-Pacific stability, and maritime security behind closed doors. Rubio is expected to have a pull-aside meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Thursday.