Vietnamese legislature pledges closer cooperation with IPU

Washington (VNA) - The Vietnamese National Assembly commits to working closely with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its member parliaments to realise sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the spirit of the Hanoi Declaration adopted at the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) in Vietnam in 2015, a Vietnamese legislator has stated.

During meetings with IPU President Saber Chowdhury and General Secretary Martin Chungong in New York on the occasion of her ongoing working visit to the US, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong highlighted the fruitful cooperation between the IPU and the Vietnamese legislature in recent years.

She expressed her belief that the IPU will continue supporting its member parliaments for peace, democracy, cooperation and sustainable development.

As a responsible member of the IPU over the last 35 years, the Vietnamese NA has actively joined all important meetings of the IPU for the union’s development, she noted.

Phong thanked President Saber Chowdhury and IPU members for electing Vietnam to the IPU Steering Committee in 2016-2019.

The Vietnamese NA considers the participation in IPU’s activities a leading task in its multilateral parliamentary diplomatic activities in order to promote and protect Vietnam’s interests as well as show the country’s views on global concerns, she stressed.

This also offers good chances for Vietnam’s NA to access and learn experience from IPU member parliaments, thus improving its operation quality, she added.

Phong further said that the Vietnamese NA is coordinating with the IPU in preparing for a symposium of the IPU Asia-Pacific on implementing SDGs on climate change in May this year, before the 3rd session of the 14th NA.

For his part, Chowdhury spoke highly of contributions made by the Vietnamese NA to the IPU’s operations, saying that those are useful for the union.

He hoped the upcoming symposium will help promote the inclusion of SDGs in Vietnam’s national action programmes.

Previously, at her meeting with President of the Senate of the Philippines Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, NA Vice President Phong reviewed positive results in the relations between the two countries in over the last four decades, saying that she believes that the bilateral ties will continue developing in a practical manner, focusing on boosting parliamentary cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides pledged to maintain and promote peace, security, stability, navigation and aviation safety and freedom, and unimpeded trade in the region. They called on involved parties to exercise self-restraint, not use force or threaten to use force, respect relevant diplomatic and legal progresses, and solve disputes by peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They reaffirmed support for the full and effective enforcement of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the waters.

The Vietnamese legislator took the occasion to congratulate the Philippines on its position as the Chair of ASEAN and the 38th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 38), expressing her hope that the AIPA 38 in September will open a new period for the organisation after 40 years of formation and development.-VNA