A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by Hoang Binh Quan, head of its Central Committee’s External Affairs Commission, participated in the 8th plenum of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in Sri Lanka from September 18-21.

The four-day event brought together representatives of 75 political parties from30 Asian countries and several regional and international organizations.

The conference adopted the Colombo Statement, emphasising the Asian political parties’ commitment to building an Asian community of peace and prosperity, with common interests, destiny and responsibility.

The statement expressed concern about increasing conflicts and violence in the region, saying that current territorial disputes in some places may cause serious threats to the regional security.

Therefore, it stressed the importance of solving the disputes via dialogues in respect for international law and UN resolutions.

The conference called for strengthening collaboration in nuclear non-proliferation, boosting economic integration and increasing people-to-people exchanges in order to bring prosperity and sustainability to Asia .

On the sidelines of the plenum, a number of events took place, including the 23rd meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee, and two seminars focusing on the roles of female politicians and young leaders in the Asian community-building process.

Speaking at the events, the Vietnamese delegation mentioned recent developments that caused instabilities to the region and highlighted demands for enhancing solidarity, reinforcing trust and increasing dialogue for the sustainable development of the Asian community.

During their stay, the Vietnamese communists were received by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also President of the Freedom Party of Sri Lanka, and met with representatives of several other participating political parties.-VNA