Vietnam strengthens ties with Philippine, Timor Leste parliaments

HCM City (VNA) – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has expressed her wish that Vietnam and the Philippines would strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation in the near future, during a reception for Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Panteleon D. Alvarez in Ho Chi Minh City on May 11.

Ngan said the two countries should further increase bilateral collaboration and exchange of all-level delegations, especially by friendship parliamentarians’ groups in order to raise mutual understanding in parliamentary activities and regional issues of shared concern.

She wished that the Philippines, in its role as Chair of ASEAN and Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly during the 2017 tenure, will uphold its active role and make important contributions to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.

Alvarez, who is in Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Asia-Pacific conference on response to climate change – actions of lawmakers to realise sustainable development goals, said the Philippines wants the ASEAN nations to work closely together to cope with climate change in the future.

He believed that the bilateral ties will be further strengthened on both bilateral and multilateral aspects for the practical benefit of the two peoples, and for an ASEAN Community of stability, cooperation and development.

Receiving President of the Parliament of Timor-Leste Aderito Hugo Da Costa in the afternoon the same day, Ngan said she hopes partnership in energy and food security, rice production and training of students majoring in agriculture between the countries will be increased.

She spoke highly of Timor-Leste’s determination to join ASEAN and suggested the country make better preparations to meet the bloc’s entry requirements.

The host also proposed extending coordination between the two legislatures, including the exchange of parliament leaders and committees’ members to share profession experience.

The Timor-Leste leader, who is also in Ho Chi Minh City for the IPU Asia-Pacific conference, said his country wants to boost collaboration with Vietnam in coffee manufacturing, processing and export, oil and gas, as well as learn from its experience in agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture.

He briefed the host about the Timor-Leste legislature, saying that that 39.8 percent of the parliament’s members are women.

He said as a member of the association of Spanish-speaking countries, Timor-Leste wants to join ASEAN soon to consolidate ties with regional countries.-VNA