AIPA, European Parliament boost cooperation

The dialogue between member states of the European Parliament (EP) and AIPA in Kuala Lumpur on September 9. (Source: VNA)

Member states of the European Parliament (EP) expressed their willingness to provide technical support to member countries of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly ( AIPA ) at a dialogue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on September 9.

The dialogue was part of the 36th General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly ( AIPA 36 ), which is taking place in Kuala Lumpur from September 6-12.

Delegates of the EP highlighted fields in which the two sides should boost exchanges and cooperation.

Member states of the EP are ready to assist AIPA in strengthening and promoting the role of parliaments in the formation of the ASEAN Community, supervising the implementation of conventions and agreements and especially in sharing experience in building laws for the integration.

The EP also wished to have more dialogues between member states of the EP and the AIPA.

Ngo Duc Manh, Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs, said Vietnam’s policy is to promote foreign ties via people-to-people exchange.

This is also an issue attracting great interest of AIPA member states, he said, adding that around seven millions of European people visit member countries of the ASEAN each year, citing statistics given by EP delegates at the dialogue.

He stressed that the flow of visitors is one of the factors to boost people-to-people exchanges.

The same days, member countries of the AIPA held dialogues with observer countries, including Australia, Belarus, China, Canada, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste.-VNA