SINGAPORE, Aug 23 (NNN-Bernama) — The United States (US) Vice President on Monday said right now the country is singularly focused on evacuating its own citizens from Afghanistan as well as Afghans who worked with the US and who are vulnerable, including women and children.
“That is our singular focus at this time,” said Kamala Harris at a joint press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong here on Monday in conjunction with her official visit to the republic.
“Understanding that we have a priority in making sure that the people that in particular helped America achieved its responsibilities in terms of our priorities and the reason we went to Afghanistan in the first place that we have a responsibility and we feel a deep commitment to making sure the folks who helped us are safe.
“But there is no question that what many of us have seen on television. The president has, I think shown rate emotion and in expressing sadness about some of the images we have seen,” she said.
She noted that the country cannot be, in any way, distracted from what must be its primary mission right now, which is evacuating people from that region, who deserve to be evacuated.
Harris, who will be in the republic until Aug 24, also said there is going to be plenty of time to analyse what has happened and what has taken place in the context of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Among others, Harris was fielded with questions surrounding America’s pullout in Afghanistan, including that the US cannot be counted on as a reliable long-term partner.
“As it relates to America’s relationship around the world. I am standing here in Singapore because of our commitment to a long-standing relationship, which is an enduring relationship with the Indo-Pacific region.. with Southeast Asian countries, and in particular with Singapore,” she said.
The US and Singapore are expanding areas of partnership including climate and economic cooperation, as well as cybersecurity and cyberspace.
On Aug 20, Singapore and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation on cybersecurity. Besides strengthening information sharing, fostering cybersecurity exchanges between the two countries, and cooperation through joint exercises, the MOU will expand into new areas of cooperation such as critical technologies, and research and development.
Harris stressed that the agreements that Singapore and the US have reached during her visit are evidence of that enduring relationship as well as commitment, and it was founded on the long-standing priorities.
Not only in security and economic interest, it is also a commitment going forward as it relates to the challenges in the 21st century and the inevitable future pandemics, she added.
“These agreements are evidence of America’s strength and enduring relationships around the globe and in particular, our knowledge that as we move forward and think about where we go in the 21st century.
“Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific will in large part, I believe, dictate the future of our world and America’s commitment then and partnerships with the countries in this region are about where we are going and also founded on the relationships that we have had in this region,” she said.
Harris, accompanied by senior officials from the Vice President’s Office, National Security Council and Department of State, will leave Singapore for Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon.
— NNN-BERNAMA
