Vietnamese delegation at the event. Photo: VNA

A Vietnamese delegation led by Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha attended the opening of the 143rd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-143) hosted by the Parliament of Spain in Madrid on Nov. 26 evening (local time), reported VNA Sunday.

At the invitation of the Parliament of Spain, the IPU-143 and its related meetings will be held in Madrid from Nov. 26 to 30 - the first in-person Assembly since October 2019 and the subsequent onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.

All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young MPs, will convene during this assembly. The General Debate will provide a platform for delegates to deliberate, exchange views and seek to galvanize parliamentary action to uphold and promote democracy around the world.

The assembly will adopt resolutions on the emergency item and on the subject item taken up by the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights entitled Legislation worldwide to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The assembly is expected to conclude with the adoption of an outcome document on the overall theme of the General Debate.

At the opening ceremony. Photo: VNA

Themed “Contemporary challenges to democracy: Overcoming division and building communities”, the event drew nearly 1,500 delegates from 123 member parliaments, eight affiliate members and 20 observers, including 39 heads and 27 deputy heads of parliaments.

In his opening remarks, King of Spain Felipe VI underscored the importance of parliaments, considering them a central institution of democracy.

President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and UN Secretary General António Guterres also highlighted the significance of parliamentary diplomacy as well as parliaments’ activities to realise the UN’s agreements. They affirmed commitment to further strengthening strategic partnership between the UN and the IPU.

The same day, the Vietnamese delegation met Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Barcelona Pau Guardans Cambo to discuss bilateral cooperation opportunities, especially in economy, culture, sports and tourism and others fields of the two countries’ strength.

They also visited headquarters of the Spanish company HIPRA and learned about its progress of studying and experimenting Covid-19 vaccine which is expected to be licensed and put into use in the first quarter next year.

Until Nov. 30, the Vietnamese delegation plans to continue joining the UN General Assembly’s activities and hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the events.

Earlier, a delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly participated in meetings of the ASEAN+3 and Asia-Pacific groups of the IPU which were held in the form of video conference on Nov. 23.

The meeting of the ASEAN 3 Group was chaired by Chairman of the Vietnamese NA’s Committee for External Affairs Vu Hai Ha.

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