National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a reception in Hanoi on October 24 for Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, during which they agreed to intensify cooperation to protect women’s rights, interests and development.

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) welcomes Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. (Source: VNA)

Ngan emphasised that the Vietnam visit by the Malaysian Deputy PM is of major significance as the two countries are celebrating the 45^th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The bilateral Strategic Partnership, set up in 2015, has developed well with numerous achievements in economics, trade, investment, security, defence, education and labour, she stated, expressing hope that both sides will have in-depth discussions and put forward measures to foster bilateral and multilateral cooperation during this visit.

The Vietnamese legislature always supports and promotes its supervision role in the implementation of signed agreements, she affirmed.

Ngan told the guest that at its ongoing sixth session, the Vietnamese NA will ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) the Vietnamese Government signed with 10 other nations, including Malaysia.

She expressed her hope that the Parliament of Malaysia will soon ratify the agreement, contributing to making it soon become effective in order to promote trade liberalisation and regional economic connectivity.

The top legislator thanked the Malaysian Government for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese labourers. However, she noted several cases in which the labourers are refused to sign legal work contracts, and paid lower than their capacity. Therefore, she suggested both sides strengthen cooperation to create a safer and more favourable working environment for all labourers.

Agreeing with Ngan’s proposals, Wan Azizah stressed that Malaysia always wants to put an end to labour abuse, and is exerting efforts to ensure labourers’ rights and interests as well as to fight illegal behaviours in this field.

Both host and guest agreed that the two countries should collaborate with other ASEAN member states to consolidate unity, improve the role of the bloc, and maintain peace in the East Sea.

The Deputy PM took the occasion to congratulate the Vietnamese legislature on its recent election of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the post of the country’s President./.

VNF/VNA