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World Leaders Gather Virtually To Raise Money For Yemen; CNN Follows Teen Brothers On Dangerous Trek To U.S. Border; Joe Biden Facing String Of Middle East Challenges; Exclusive: BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin Speaks With CNN; Hungary: "Racing Against Time" And COVID-19 Variants; Australia's Winemakers Suffer Over Harsh China Tariffs. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired March 01, 2021 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: They aren't getting the nutrients to grow. We've been seeing these stark images for years in Yemen

as the country spiral deeper into civil war and famine. The country and the crisis could now get even worse. I know it sounds unbelievable.

But the UN now warning more than 16 million Yemenis will go hungry this year, and some 400,000 Yemeni kids that are nearly a half a million

children under the age of five could die of malnutrition unless the world steps in.

Let me just let that sink in. Some pledges are already coming in at a virtual fundraising conference for Yemen which is being held as we speak.

Now this conference aims to raise nearly $4 billion. Many nations though cut their funding last year and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says

the impact has been brutal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: Today, reducing aids is a death sentence for entire families. With the war raging, Yemen's children are

paying the price. And we know from studying the impact of conflict that those children will continue to pay a high price long after the guns fall

seal of silence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that was Antonio Guterres. My next guest is in Yemen, he visited one of the worst hit areas of the country and he says the nation is

quote, running out of time. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEIGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: So I'm now in a malnutrition Clinic in - one of the poorest places in Yemen. In all of

these rooms, there are severely malnourished children. And mothers tell one horrific story after the other have put a stop in to Yemen last year of

their husbands having zero work or being sick themselves. It is beyond belief that suffering here, we need to reinstate aid to the suffering

children of Yemen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Jan Egeland joining me now from Skype or by Skype, sorry, from the Yemeni Capitol Sana. We just heard a little of what you had seen and

heard. Tell us more Jan what are people telling you on the ground?

EGELAND: Well, it's really heartbreaking to be among children, mothers, who cannot breastfeed their children because they were too malnourished

themselves. I mean, in that very clinic that you saw on your screen now I met a mother with a small girl called Khadija (ph). She was nine years old,

I thought she was three or four years, so stunted was she a beautiful girl.

She couldn't walk anymore because of the malnutrition. That's why they were brought to this clinic. The mother said I want to tell the story of my

family because I had 14 children, five are now dead, because of the diseases that come with chronic malnutrition.

And she also said we fell off the cliff at this time last year, when you the aid organizations had to cut relations by half because of the funding

crisis. So this has to change. I mean, I I'm outraged by seeing what's happening in 2021 with the whole generation of children and youth in Yemen.

ANDERSON: You were in Yemen back in 2017 that's some four years ago. How much worse have things got and by the way, the story that you've just told

is unforgiveable, unforgivable? How much worse if things got since you were last there?

EGELAND: Much worse really, of course, at that time, too there were very - there were doomsday predictions. But then in the world, in a way the world

woke up and especially the Gulf countries next time to get them and where I am now said we will come generously to our brothers and sisters in Yemen.

And we had a fully funded aid appeal for 2019 massive food aid all over the country. And we also had progress in giving aid. Then came 2020 this

horrific year where all nations turned inward locking and we did not get the funding we needed.

The Gulf countries left their neighbor alone and the war worsens. There were 30 active conflict alliance a year or two ago. Now there are more than

40 and as we speak, you know armed men, grown men with guns and power specialized in having a political conflict, a war in a starvation zone.

[11:05:00]

EGELAND: It has to end. We need to have a stop to this war a common prevention ceasefire.

ANDERSON: OK, so the aid agencies are overstretched and underfunded, hence the need for this funding round, a virtual conference happening today,

you're on the ground in Yemen. So you may not be bang up to date on what we know at this point.

But let me take you through what we know. I'm going to talk about the Gulf countries in a moment because we have seen a significant pledge from both

Saudi and the UAE and we'll come to that one in a moment.

First off, though the U.S. announcing it will pledge 191 million to support Yemen, the EU pledging 114 million other EU member states, it must be

mentioned are still making separate pledges. But the U.S. and the EU are the two largest economies effectively on earth, the amount they are

pledging is only about 8 percent of what is needed, and is a fraction of their GDP, your thoughts?

EGELAND: It's too little, I'm really afraid that we will end up today now with less money, both from North America and from Europe, but also from the

Gulf countries. Listen, Saudi Arabia gave a billion dollars in 2019. Today, I think they gave 450 million United Arab Emirates 250 million.

Of course, it is significant sums but we need 4 billion. I mean there are 20 million people who need humanitarian assistance, and 16 million need to

date to avoid starvation. It is as big as that it's as simple and as difficult as that. And if we're now counting that there is perhaps is the 1

billion we need another 3 billion still in many countries to go. But it's too little. And on top of that we need an end to the war, we need this

ceasefire.

ANDERSON: And that is the sort of the politics of this. And we know that one key factor in the political situation in Yemen is the Houthis. And we

know that there are countries who are concerned about the mismanagement or outright theft of any funds incoming by the Houthis, particularly given

that the majority of Sana or much of the North is controlled by Houthi rebels.

I mean, what is your experience on the ground? And how can you persuade other countries that their funds will be adequately managed, and we'll get

to the mouths of those 16 million people who need that money in aid most?

EGELAND: Well, be the aid diversion problem was there and the World Food Program addressed it robustly. So the donors and the de facto authorities

here who you call the Houthis, they call themselves - they did change their attitude.

I am convinced that all of the funding gone through my organization, we have 330 courageous humanitarian workers on the ground and they go in and

out of conflict zones, all the time. They bravely checkpoints every single day, et cetera. They follow up the funding to the recipient. They follow

the family so that they get through the crisis.

It's more of a problem and it is still a real problem, that we're held back by all of these roadblocks. Lack of permits of access the neighboring

comments to - where I was, we cannot but go on day visits. We can monitor we can see that things happen.

But it's immensely cumbersome to go to a tremendous area, with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people needing our assistance and get a permit

every week to really be there. So indeed, there needs to be a massive pressure on all of the parties south and north to enable access freely to

all to avert this famine that could be of biblical proportions.

[11:10:00]

EGELAND: In the course of this year until - unless things change.

ANDERSON: So just to be absolutely clear, last year's UN pledging conference raised 135 billion that was a billion dollars short of what aid

agencies said they needed. And there's about that much in the pot at present today, way short of the 4 billion or so that the UN is asking for.

I just wonder, you don't sound confident that the UN is going to reach its target this time around. What does that mean on the ground? Sir, let's be

quite clear about this.

EGELAND: I can be very clear; the shortfall will be measured in lives lost in children's lives lost. The children and the youth, the women that most

vulnerable, whom we all must agree had nothing to do with this senseless conflict among grown men, that on both sides are willing to quarrel and

fight each other to the last child.

A lack of funding for our operation also means rations will remain haft. And as a father with eight children told me, listen to me the month three

ration for my family last for 15 days. Then I could scrape together enough - many go on garbage dumps and find some a little bit of food for example.

I could scrape together to get to the end of the month, when we only got one food ration every other month, it was impossible. And then comes this

tsunami of deaths associated to malnutrition. And that's not the future it's today. So we need to scale up today and tomorrow and the day after and

we need more access.

And we need an end to this senseless offensive, I mean 40 places people are fighting and there are more displaced people coming to overwhelm us. All of

this must happen to avert the crisis.

ANDERSON: Jan Egeland is on the ground in Yemen. Thank you, sir. Well, issues of displacement of migration of despair. None of this is unique to

Yemen or indeed to this region of the Middle East. The United States is seeing an influx of hopeful migrants at its southern border.

It's not an easy journey, and there are no guarantees but they are driven by a range of desperate conditions at home and now, new motivation. A U.S.

President scene is more willing to open America's doors. Well, Matt Rivers is in Southern Mexico where he has been walking alongside just a few of the

many, many migrants making their trek from Central America. Matt, tell us what you have been seeing and what you've been hearing?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, we always expected that in the first part of this year there would be an increase in migrants given the

easing of COVID lockdowns in this part of the world given what you said about Joe Biden and perceptions about his presidency.

But the numbers of migrants that we are seeing down here are significant and it is a good reminder in speaking to them just how dangerous this trip

can be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice over): Not far from the Mexico/Guatemala border fielding to full soccer teams that - migrant shelter is easy because the number of

people headed to the United States is surging. Carlos 19 is bound for the U.S. too. He left Honduras five days ago with his little brother 14 year

old.

He says a lot of people not just us decided to leave and migrate to look for a better life. After dark there are among dozens that will spend the

night inside the shelter. The number of migrants like these lining up each night to enter the shelter has blown away the numbers that we saw last year

in the first two months of 2021.

More migrants have already been registered here than in all of 2020. The shelter says more than 5500 people just since New Year's Day. Father

Gabrielle Romero says people are no longer afraid to leave their countries due to COVID this is a moment of a humanitarian emergency.

The next day Carlos and - are among a dozen that set out at dawn set to walk for hours through an overgrown unforgiving landscape. And thousands

have just taken similar trips. The number of people apprehended at the U.S. southern border last month higher than the same month in each of the last

three years.

[11:15:00]

Over three days, dozens of migrants told us the reasons for the increase are myriad with poverty chief among them. Finding work was always hard but

never worse than during the pandemic. Plus, after back to back category four hurricanes destroyed entire Central American communities in November

tens of thousands were displaced.

And as this group of migrants told us, there's another reason too, it's not a Trump White House anymore. This migrant says it's no longer a racist

president because he looked at us like we're animals. The Biden Administration is trying to end Trump's more restricted immigration

policies and says it will admit more asylum seekers, but they've also said now is not the time for migrants to come citing the pandemic and policy

changes not yet completed.

Though that did not dissuade anyone we met with many sang Biden in charge gives them a better chance of getting in. That's the difference he says

that suddenly the new president is noble with a good heart. On a break from that day's trek, Carlos told us they hadn't left for any one reason

poverty, hurricanes, Biden all a part of it. He just remembers his mom crying as they walked away.

We asked what she said. She said not to go. It's so sad leaving not knowing if you're going to die, because all migrants know how dangerous these

tracks can be. And the proof came just a few hours later, in a small village.

The group had just been attacked and robbed by our men left with nothing but their clothes. We had a basic medical kit on us. So producer Natalie

and I tried to patch them up the best we could. Both brothers were pistol whipped 14-year-old - with a deep gash on his head?

You can see here, the blood in his hat after he was hit with the bite of a pistol according to the group. Now we've given him a bandage. So he says he

is a little bit of pain, but he's OK for now. But just moments later, they had to run a van fast approaching.

So this is a Mexican immigration and that's why our group here just ran into the woods. We wouldn't find them again until early the next morning,

they'd walked more than 12 hours after they fled, exhausted and resting outside of a small shop, we took the moment to ask, is this worth it?

Carlos said it was that a better life awaited - quietly. Not so sure. I don't really know. He says but wherever my brother is, I'll always be

there. Another half mile down the tracks, they enter another shelter for the night. But for the weary, there won't be rest. Because in the next day

or two, it will is more trekking through never ending forest, their singular group, just one of thousands doing the same.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (on camera): Now we spoke to Carlos about the idea that it's certainly not a guarantee that he's going to be allowed into united states

that somewhere along this process, be it walking or be it at the border he might get separated from his little brother would be basically he told us

that's a problem down the road because at least they're looking at a month before they likely get to the U.S. border.

And to get there Becky they have to walk through some of the most dangerous parts of Mexico. So he's basically just not thinking that far ahead at this

point, Becky.

ANDERSON: Perhaps understandably so. Matt, thank you. That's a story for you. Well, just days after a blistering report and the murder of Jamal

Khashoggi, we are learning now what is being left off the report into the journalists their forehead what that means for us relations with Saudi

Arabia.

And the U.S. finds itself between Israel and Iran over an attack on an Israeli ship how it will play into America's other diplomatic goals in the

Middle East? Plus Hungary turns to two vaccines not approved by the EU of which of course it is a member as it faces a testing time I'll be live

talking to the country's international spokesman just a little later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:20:00]

ANDERSON: In the coming hours, we should learn more about what the U.S. calls a recalibration of its relations with Saudi Arabia. The State

Department says this new relationship with the Kingdom will be based on accountability and transparency. That's why according to Washington, they

release the report on the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Well, CNN has also learned that three names were removed from that report shortly after it was published. On Friday CNN's Nic Robertson has more on

those names, and the state of U.S./Saudi relations.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Becky, I think one of the things that's quite striking about these three names that were on the

list that was taken down a few hours later put back up without those names on there is that over the weekend, neither the White House nor the Office

of the Director of National Intelligence, which put out their intelligence assessment have actually put forward a reason why that happened.

One of the names appears to be the brother of a minister involved in state security that, in of itself, raises questions about how when this lists

this intelligence assessment, which have been in preparation for a long time, how could such a mistake be made in this context?

And interest focus today as well that over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden has said that he will release information about how the United States

would generally handle its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has given rise to speculation? What's he going to say?

I think what I'm hearing from Riyadh is that they're not expecting anything particularly new. But we did hear from the president that he was going to

demand and want absolute accountability and transparency on human rights.

The United States would not tolerate any human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. So that seems to be on the record. Is that part of it? This just

isn't clear at the moment.

But over the weekend, the United States having to take a different tone with Saudi Arabia coming to its support, when Houthi militias backed by

Iran in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at the Capitol Riyadh that's over 600 miles almost 1000 kilometers away, causing damage in the capital of the

United States saying that it will stand behind the defense of Saudi Arabia.

So you know this has been a rocky weekend for Riyadh. And when a missile comes back close to the Capitol and part of the debris falls on buildings

in the Capitol, that's a difficult position for the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well, Becky.

ANDERSON: Nic Robertson on the story for you. So while the Biden Administration faces a delicate diplomatic dance with the Kingdom, Iran

doesn't seem to want to dance with U.S. at all. Washington says it is disappointed that tech Ron has turned down its invitation to start nuclear

talks.

Iran says it won't even take part in an official talk until the U.S. lift sanctions. Well, meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister blames Iran for blowing

a hole through one of its ships in the Gulf of Oman. Last week, well Sam Kiley now joining us from Jerusalem let's start with this vessel attack.

What's the latest? What do we know at this point?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the Helios ray Becky that was steaming at the beginning of the weekend or the end of

last week from Daman in Saudi Arabia to Singapore and it's an Israeli own ship that was is a vehicle cargo carrier.

[11:25:00]

KILEY: But at some point about 45 nautical miles North West of Muscat in the Gulf of Oman, it was hold in an explosion initially, particularly out

of the U.S., these reports are being dismissed as piracy, which was kind of an extraordinary claim.

But very quickly, these - said as their ship docked in Dubai for repairs, that this had been an act of violence that they believed have been

perpetrated by Iran. Initially, it was the Israeli defense establishment. Now this morning, Benjamin Netanyahu, Becky said this.

He said, first of all, this was indeed an operation by Iran. That is clear. And as for the response, you know, my policy, I think that Iran is Israel's

biggest enemy, he said to - radio here. Now, there's no surprise in Netanyahu statement. But what he's doing there is pledging some kind of

response.

He went on to say we are actually attacking Iranian targets all over the place quite a lot of the time. And indeed, the night before, there had been

an attack in Syria attributed to Israel against Iranian backed militias on the outskirts of Damascus. But I think that this may provoke something

else.

And of course, this is all in the context of those very, not quite desperate, but keen efforts from the United States and the Europeans to get

some kind of talks with the Iranians back on track, which have so far been rebuffed.

Becky, not least because the Iranians are now according to the International Atomic Energy Authority, may be or may have been producing

undeclared radioactivity material, which has raised some suspicions in that organization, Becky?

ANDERSON: Yes, the big picture here, of course, when you talk the U.S., Saudi, the U.S., Iran, Israel, Iran, Saudi, Iran, is this sense of what

happens next? Where do we believe we are at, at this point? It is clear that there are a whole load of negotiation moments going on here, a lot of

kind of pushing paper around and see where things are going to settle at this point. What's your sense of where we are at and what happens next?

KILEY: Well, the American strategic aim is to ensure as indeed as the position of the Europeans and most of the rest of the world that Iran

doesn't get its hands on a nuclear weapon for Israel and Iran's rivals in the Gulf Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, even Qatar, which

is closer to Iran.

They are also mortally afraid, almost existentially terrified, both of a nuclear Iran and a potential war with Iran. But they also know that the

United States certainly under Obama, and it would look somewhat under Biden is left front footed, it's less getting less involved in their issues, and

it is going to be up to them increasingly over the next few years to kind of go it alone.

And perhaps start sewing together their own defensive lines is perhaps ultimately and not in any way in conceivably involving Israel, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Thank you. A while it deals with crises abroad, the White House and the Joe Biden is also figuring out how to deliver millions

of doses of another COVID vaccine to the masses? We'll take you inside shipping facilities operating 24 hours a day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ANDERSON: The U.S. now has a third vaccine weapon in the fight against COVID-19. The drug by Johnson & Johnson has been granted emergency use

authorization in the states. Now the government is working to get nearly 4 million doses distributed.

One of these vaccines' main benefits is that it only requires one dose and it doesn't require being stored at ultra cold temperatures. Plus it can be

made relatively quickly. It also works differently from other vaccines instead of using the whole virus to generate an immune response. This drug

relies on producing the Coronaviruses out of spike proteins.

It's called a viral vector vaccine because it uses a different virus a vector to deliver instructions to ourselves and scientists say the

technology could be used to improve vaccines against other diseases like Zika and Influenza.

By the more vaccine options means we have more ways to fight variants that might emerge CNN's Fred Pleitgen, has been speaking exclusively to the

BioNTech CEO about all of this, the company, of course co developed one of the world's leading Coronavirus vaccines with Pfizer. Fred, what have you

learned?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTL: Well, there were certainly a lot of things that we learned from that interview today.

And I think one of the things that we certainly came away with is the knowledge that they are continuously working to try and make that vaccine

and see if that vaccine is effective against a lot of these Coronavirus variants.

That's really the thing that they're talking about the most. And it was quite interesting, because the CEO of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin he told me in

this exclusive interview, he said, look; there are basically two concerns with these variants.

On the one hand, that they could transmit a lot more easily a lot faster and therefore he says countries really need to make sure that their

vaccination campaigns go as fast as possible. But then there's that second concern that the variants might be able to escape the immune response from

vaccines, like, for instance, the one from Pfizer and BioNTech.

But there he says he believes that at least the BioNTech vaccine is going to be able to keep that under control and be effective, even against almost

all the variants. Let's listen in to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UGUR SAHIN, CEO, BIONTECH: We believe particularly the MRNA vaccines and BMT-162B2 is, is designed in a way, which is very robust against variants.

Of course we need to collect the overall data and see the protection rates. But for example, the data that has been collected in this trial shows that

we have a full control of the UK variant was almost the same efficacy as we had observed for the virus type was in our phase three clinical trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now, of course, Becky, there were some discussions, especially here in Europe, how best to do that? As you know, there's a severe shortage

of vaccines here on the European continent within the European Union.

And therefore one of the other questions that I asked him as well is whether or not he said it would be a - he thinks it would be better to

vaccinate all doses immediately upon the countries getting them or whether or not to hold some back in the kind of reserve to be able to be sure that

they'll be able to administer that second dose on time?

And he said right now his recommendation would be to vaccinate as fast as possible for countries to use all the doses that they have as fast as

possible, because he says that they're also scaling up production very quickly.

And another thing that they're doing as well is they're also trying to find a new formula for that vaccine to be able to store it not only at regular

freezer temperatures, but possibly also at refrigerator temperatures for an extended period of time just to make the whole logistics and the storage a

lot easier than it is now. Of course that also would make it a lot easier to administrate as well Becky.

[11:35:00]

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Thank you, Fred. And that shortage that you have just been discussing is being felt. In Hungary, for example, vaccines are a

top priority, of course, in the EU country where the government is trying to get shots in the arms of nearly a quarter of its adult population, and

it's using two vaccines that haven't been approved by the European Union.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban got a dose of one of them on Sunday, the Sinopharm vaccine after telling the country last week, it is a race against

time battling new COVID-19 variants. Well, I want to connect you now to the Hungarian Capitol, Budapest and to the Government's International Spokesman

Zoltan Kovacs, who is joining me now. And sir, thank you. I trust you and your family are well.

ZOLTAN KOVACS, HUNGARIAN STATE SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Prime Minister Oban filmed getting China's Sinopharm vaccine on Sunday. This is Hungary's break with most EU states. And you've granted

emergency authorization for both the Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik V vaccines. What's the message here sir?

KOVACS: There's a very simple message. And that is, vaccination is not a political issue. It's a matter of effectiveness and reliability. And we see

that the Chinese as well as the Russian vaccines are being used around the globe in many places. And I believe we also trust our Hungarian scientists

and doctors who approved the vaccines.

ANDERSON: The EU says that Hungary's approach falls outside their collective strategy, a strategy that many say is an unmitigated disaster,

your sense?

KOVACS: Well, it's obvious and visible by now that that strategy, compared to say, the UK, Israel, even the United States fail. The Brussels

Bureaucracy was not able to come up with the fast and immediate resolutions regarding the contract. We are lagging behind at least two months.

And I believe everybody knows that in face of the third wave that has hit Hungary already. The only way out is vaccination speeding up vaccination as

much as possible? The good vaccine is what has been injected to you.

ANDERSON: So is Hungary, then effectively breaking solidarity with the EU by sourcing vaccines from outside the EU's coffers at this point?

KOVACS: Not at all. We have - we have kept ourselves to all agreed protocols regarding ordering and employment coming from European and

Western European producers. So we didn't break any rule. We have extended the Hungarian strategy to non Western sources and I believe many other

countries around the globe - actually put that option.

ANDERSON: Now I wonder whether you would be surprised whether other EU countries will start doing the same.

KOVACS: Not at all, our expectation is that within a couple of weeks, both vaccines are going to be approved in Europe. And I believe again, we are

racing against time here. So the third wave, or the very variants actually, we've facing the British one, the South African one proved to be spreading

much, much faster actually than the previous one.

We see serious cases rising in our neighborhood in Slovakia in the Czech Republic. So, urgency is what is driving the Hungarian strategy. As you

know, we have just announced actually that the first of March today, we are shifting our strategy actually, if it's about the first shots and the time

between the second shot.

There is lots of evidence coming from different parts of the world that Pfizer and Astra are working in a different way and that can be as

effective actually after the first shot as they have been assumed earlier. So we are shifting with knowledge with increasing knowledge received from

the scientific community as well as we have reached out for other sources than the European ones.

ANDERSON: The country is talked about and facing a really crucial couple of weeks. Can you just explain why?

[11:40:00]

KOVACS: Without the medical expert we can see that we were able to stop the second wave by December, beginning of January. But with the new variants

coming, the third wave starts from a higher level of infections and people are already in hospitals.

So our expectation is that the third wave is going to be the hardest one actually, behind us, so are ahead of us rather testing the capacities in

the medical facilities in the hospitals as well as the Human Resources actually available.

ANDERSON: You're suggesting that the worst is yet to come at this point.

KOVACS: That's what we see from the numbers. And, you know, statistics obviously, can teach you lots of lessons. But one major lesson is actually

keep yourself and your decisions to the capacities and the capabilities of your infrastructure and personnel.

ANDERSON: So let me ask you, we started talking about the country Hungary now, using the Sinopharm, China Sinopharm vaccine, and indeed, the Russian

Sputnik V vaccine. How is the Hungarian population acceptance of those two vaccines, sir?

KOVACS: I believe the experience is the very same as it was back in November, December with the origin the western type of vaccines that was

much skepticism about the effectiveness, the side effects, the possible aftermath of injections.

But what we see is that Hungarians understand the point that becoming free from the pressure of becoming free, psychologically, if you like what we've

been on there for the past year, almost for the past year, is only possible through vaccination.

And I believe, showing example, the prime minister yesterday has indicated that all vaccines in the country that have been approved by Hungarian

scientists and doctors are reliable and effective.

ANDERSON: Prime Minister Orban has labeled opposition politicians expressing concern over Hungary's approval of these vaccines which don't

yet have EU signed off, as, "Anti-vaxxers". He's also making the Sinopharm vaccine available to the elderly, even though most countries including

China haven't done so due to a lack of transparent data.

I wonder, do you worry that politicizing this vaccine rollout and pushing it through as hastily as Hungary is could backfire at this point?

KOVACS: Yes, but don't blame us. I believe that showing example, as I suggested earlier, and doing everything actually that is possible to reach

out for vaccines and that therefore accelerate speed up the process of getting free from the lockdowns and restrictions is the only way out of

this, of this pandemics.

And we all know that and we all see actually that for the Hungarian opposition, nothing is there. As a matter of fact, that strategy is the

worse it is for the country, the better it is for them, the many lies we see coming from them.

And the behavior, if you like the attitude towards non European vaccines is at the end is basically anti vaccination because it is spreading fear and

it is spreading distrust mistrust among the population.

ANDERSON: There will be those who have witnessed the prime minister sparring with the EU, over the years not least in the blocks investigation

into the deterioration of the rule of law in Hungary and there will be those who are asking themselves whether this decision by the prime minister

to bypass Europe and to get early access to both the Russian and the Chinese vaccines is political, is it?

KOVACS: Well, at the end of the day, all decisions on behalf of a government obviously are political, but for the past decade, we've seen

these criticisms charges coming from all corners of the European bureaucracy coming on us.

It has been proven that there are solutions outside the Euro - the so called European solution, both in the economy in social policies and so on.

So, and you know, our philosophy is very simple. We are Europe. So it is not Brussels roll and up to tell us what to do.

Let us decide what is best for the Hungarians. And you know, the major checking the major feedback is the decision of the Hungarian electorate

who's been trusting Mr. Orban than three consecutive times by two thirds majority.

[11:45:00]

ANDERSON: Hungary has been a member of the European Union since 2004. Thank you, sir. The UK's Coronavirus case rates fell nearly 80 percent in just

six weeks. CNN spoke to Britain's Foreign Secretary about what's behind that very big drop. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINIC RAAB, UK FOREIGN MINISTER: There are two things. One, we're in the middle of a lockdown with a restrictive set of measures, which is of

course, a road back retransmission. And secondly, the swift rollout of the vaccines.

As you said over 20 million people now have had their first dose and that clearly is protecting people having an impact on transmission. So of course

there's a long way to go but the signs the progress is all positive and we've got light at the end of the tunnel here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Dominic Raab, the Foreign Minister of the UK. Up next crowds of anti coup protesters returned to the streets of Myanmar a day after the

military's deadliest crackdown yet, more on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: In Myanmar in the words of one activist the bloodshed is only made the resistance stronger. Protesters returning to the streets buying

makeshift barricades a day after the deadliest crackdown on and anti coup demonstrators so far.

The UN says security forces turn their guns on crowds in multiple cities on Sunday and at least 18 people were killed. Meanwhile, the nation's ousted

Civilian Leader Aung San Sui Shi is appeared in court by video links she was charged with a third set of crimes this time having to do with

communication laws against causing quote fear or alarm.

Well, there are no reports of fatalities so far from the latest protests in Myanmar but activists say the death toll from Sunday's violence may be

higher than reported. And some of the victims' families are sharing their pain. Connecting us is CNN's Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Shock and grief after the deadliest day since Myanmar's month old military coup. 33-year-old - and

his mother mourn the sudden loss of his twin brother - he was one of the victims of Sunday's worst, bloody violence.

KO KO AUNG HTET NAING, VICTIM'S BROTHER: I mean, we go to the roads and then we fight for our democracy, but they shoot my brother.

WATSON (voice over): Ko Ko says the twins attended many protests against the military dictatorship after the February 1st military coup.

NAING: We against the military coups, and we all do we really want a democracy.

WATSON (voice over): On the night of Saturday, February 27th - posted what would be his final message on Facebook. How many dead bodies you will need

to take action?

[11:50:00]

On Sunday morning the twins were part of this crowd in front of --number five business education high school. Half hour earlier police had fired

tear gas down this street, sending protesters running. But at 9:20 am after a brief moment of tension this was - crumbled in front of the school gates.

Amid more gunfire, bystanders struggled to drag him to safety. The brothers had been separated in the panic, Ko Ko only learned that his brother was

fatally wounded with a bullet to the stomach, after he repeatedly called his twins phone.

NAING: I called my brother again and again after that, why not? Why not kind he - I mean he takes my phone and he says it is no your brother your

brother had been shot by the military.

WATSON (voice over): The spasm of violence erupted across Myanmar Sunday claiming victims in at least six cities according to the United Nations

Human Rights Office. The UN Secretary General and U.S. Secretary of State both condemned security forces for attacking peaceful protesters.

CNN has tried to reach the military for comment but it has not responded. The military controlled media insists police only used tear gas and stun

grenades against what they describe as rioting protests.

On Monday, protesters were back out on the streets - rebuilding their barricades. Sunday's killings have only angered the anti-military movement

this activist says.

THINZAR SHUNLEI YI, ACTIVIST: Even today after many people got killed yesterday. Even today we see a lot of people out on the streets. They were

assisted in the same scale. So nothing can eventually stop us. That's what the military needs to be convinced about that.

WATSON (voice over): There's a memorial on the street where - bled. Ko Ko hopes his brother's death will not be in vain.

NAING: Please have as Myanmar people. Please reject our military because they are not our leader. They are not our governments that they are not our

future.

WATSON (voice over): Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We are taking a very short break. We will be back after this for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: You're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson for you. Just a couple of minutes left and you'll know that we always give you the

big picture on this show and you will know a major theme has been the increasing divergence between the West and China of late supercharge Of

course by the pandemic the canary in the coal mine of this geostrategic struggle.

Well, Australia right now we are learning China's foreign investment in Australia fell 62 percent last year that was compared to 2019 and that is

according to a new study by the Australian National University the micro to that macro. Angus Watson explains how Australia's winemakers are caught in

the middle?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGUS WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Taste the difference? 2015 Australia and China sign a free trade agreement and Oz winemakers are among

the big winners. The removal of tariffs supercharged a growing industry.

[11:55:00]

Then following a single statement, it dried up.

BRUCE TYRRELL, TYRRELL'S WINES: It's important that we learn the lessons of how this pandemic started, so we could move on any future pandemic wherever

it starts.

A. WATSON (voice over): That call for an inquiry into the origins of COVID- 19 left a bad taste in the mouths of the Chinese government, and soon after China hit Australian export products with blocks and huge tariffs.

Number two diplomat in Australia, Wang Shinning (ph), said China felt like Caesar betrayed by his friend Brutus. Temporary duties of up to 212 percent

was slapped on Australian wine, and a probe opened into alleged Australian dumping of cheap product on the Chinese market.

TYRRELL: As margins are margins. So it could be quadrupling of our price would pretty much put us out of the marketplace.

A. WATSON (voice over): In December 2019, Australia exported over $134 million worth of wine to China in December 2020 just 3 million. Bruce

Tyrrell says the wines from his family vineyard in the Hunter Valley North of Sydney, particularly pleasing to the Chinese palate, fruity and acidic.

Just like his government in Canberra Tyrrell believes the rising taste for Australian wine in China defies Beijing's accusation that Australia has

been dumping its cheap stuff.

TYRRELL: And if we were dumping, why did the average price of our exports to China go up by 30 percent in four years? That just makes the dumping

accusation complete rubbish someone's during that up?

A. WATSON (voice over): Before the tariff hike on Australian product, only France was shipping more wine to China. Emmanuel a small parts of that a

Frenchman with a love for Australian wine. He says Chinese customers love it too. So much so he only sells Australian at his shop in Hong Kong. But

he's had to put his business shipping wine from Melbourne to Shanghai on ice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of demand for this one but not anymore. Just hoping it won't last forever. And it's just for a short period of time

and things will get better.

A. WATSON (voice over): Until then other countries - have the gap in the Chinese market.

TYRRELL: With Australia kicked out of China, I would take the Europeans have been they like a roundup thereafter.

A. WATSON (voice over): And in the immediate term, Australian winemakers will look to recoup some of their loss sales close to home as bars and

restaurants here reopen after COVID-19 lockdowns. Angus Watson in Sydney, Australia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And that is how a tiny pathogen borrowing its way out of some mysterious biological soup can more than a year later, cost people making

wine in Australia cold hard cash affecting the political balance of the entire world. It is all connected folks. From the team here on "Connect the

World," it is a very good evening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END