NA Vice Chairman Busy at 146th IPU Assembly

Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man (3rd from L) and Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong (3rd from R). Photo: VNA

Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man on March 13 took part in a series of meetings on the sidelines of the ongoing 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, VNA reported.

At a meeting with Secretary General of the IPU Martin Chungong, Man said the participation in IPU activities is an important task of the Vietnamese NA in order to join IPU member parliaments in discussing and coming up with solutions to current pressing global issues, thus making contributions to consolidating peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.

Commending the Secretary General’s contributions to the development of relations between the IPU and the Vietnamese NA over the past time, he wished for further support and close coordination regarding the latter's hosting of the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Hanoi this September.

In response, Chungong praised the Vietnamese NA’s capacity in organizing international events, including the 132nd IPU Assembly in 2015, and highlighted the strong growth of the relationship between the body and the IPU in recent years.

The IPU is willing to assist the Vietnamese NA’s organization of similar events, he affirmed, underscoring that the signing of an agreement between the NA and IPU Secretariat on a method to run the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians demonstrates Vietnam's commitment to actively and responsibly engaging in IPU activities.

At the signing ceremony of the agreement. Photo: VNA

On the occasion, Man witnessed the signing ceremony of the pact.

Hosting President of the Angolan National Assembly Carolina Cerqueira, Man said the Vietnamese support strengthening cooperation with Angola in all fields, notably trade, investment, politics, diplomacy, health, and education.

He recommended the two sides speed up the negotiation process to soon sign a number of cooperation documents such as agreements on investment, double taxation avoidance, security, and civil aviation.

The two countries’ parliaments should strengthen their exchange of high-level delegations, supervision of the implementation of signed cooperation agreements, and sharing of experience in law-making noted the official.

Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man (R) and President of the Angolan National Assembly Carolina Cerqueira. Photo: VNA

For her part, Cerqueira expressed her hope for improved bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, goods processing, education, health, industry, and marine transport. She also proposed the sides establish parliamentary friendship groups.

At another meeting with Speaker of Zambia National Assembly Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, Man suggested that the two countries further promote collaboration in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, health, and education. He affirmed that Vietnam is willing to share development experience with Zambia, especially in agriculture.

The top Zambian legislator said that the two countries can boost cooperation in areas where the two sides have strengths such as agriculture and tourism, and expressed her wish to learn from Vietnam's economic development experience.

She said that she will propose the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs consider the application for visa exemption for Vietnamese people holding diplomatic and official passports.

On the same day, Man also received Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh of Bahrain’s Shura Council (upper house).

NA Permanent Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) meets with IPU President Duarte Pacheco on the sidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly in Bahrain. Photo: VNA

Previously, on March 12 on the sidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly, Man had separate meetings with President of the IPU Duarte Pacheco, and Vice President of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachak.

Meeting with IPU President Duarte Pacheco, Man affirmed that since Vietnam became a member of the IPU in 1979, the country has always actively and responsively engaged in its activities, including the successful hosting of some big events such as the 132nd IPU Assembly and the IPU Asia-Pacific conference on climate change response.

He said that Vietnam’s hosting of the upcoming IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians once again affirms the country’s commitments, as well as its great attention to the role of the youth in global issues.

Man said that the Vietnamese NA always considers engagement in IPU activities as an important multilateral diplomatic task that aims to seek solutions to urgent global issues. The IPU provides a forum for the Vietnamese legislature to learn good practices of other parliaments in the world and enhance its operational efficiency, Man added.

For his part, Pacheco said that the IPU and the Vietnamese NA share common values of a better world. The union always defines dialogue as an effective tool to narrow differences and settle crises and conflicts, he said, expressing his hope that the parliaments of all UN member states will become members of the IPU.

Pacheco said he believed that Vietnam will continue to be a responsible member of the IPU with the contributions of valuable ideas to the union and the willingness to perform tasks in the IPU in the time to come.

Meeting with his Lao counterpart Sounthone Xayachak the same day, the two sides have actively shared experience in law building and supervision, contributing to supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery, he noted, suggesting that the two sides continue to work together in realizing their cooperation agreement while promoting the mechanism of the high-level meeting of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV)’s parliaments, and collaborating in supervising the implementation of international conventions that the two sides have signed, especially those on trade and investment, thus strengthening the connectivity between the two economies.

Themed “Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: fighting intolerance”, the event runs until March 15.

Themed “Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: fighting intolerance”, the 146th IPU Assembly runs until March 15.

A delegation of the Vietnamese NA Secretariat also is attending a meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) in Manama capital of Bahrain from March 11 to 15. The annual meeting is held in parallel with the Assembly of the IPU.

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