French-speaking community strengthens solidarity

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the Vietnamese Sub-committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophone (APF) held a meeting in Hanoi on November 14 with ambassadors and representatives of the Francophonie organisations in Vietnam.

Addressing the event, National Assembly (NA) Permanent Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man, who is also President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, underlined that the Vietnamese NA has actively engaged in parliamentary diplomatic activities both bilaterally and multilaterally, including those with the parliaments of countries in the French-speaking community.

He highlighted the effective operations of the APF's Vietnamese Sub-committee, adding that Vietnam will host the APF Asia-Pacific conference from November 28-30 in Da Nang city.

Man affirmed that the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and French-speaking countries have played an important role in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

Vietnam always supports the values and goals of the French-speaking community, including peace, democracy, diversity in culture and language, solidarity, cooperation and development. This is also the goals that the State and people of Vietnam are trying to reach, he stated.

The legislator acknowledged the Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation's contributions to the success of the country’s parliamentary diplomacy over the years.

The NA Vice Chairman lauded initiatives and efforts of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the APF's Vietnamese Sub-committee as well as contributions by ambassadors and heads of international organisations through different activities.

He expressed his belief that the meeting with help promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and partners and open new collaboration opportunities among localities of Vietnam and countries.

Highlighting a number of activities of the APF's Vietnamese Sub-committee over the years, President of the Sub-committee Nguyen Thuy Anh expressed her hope that the ambassadors and heads of French-speaking organisations in Vietnam and NA deputies will continue to work for stronger relations of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the Vietnamese Sub-committee with their peers in other French-speaking countries.

She stressed the need for the increase of experience sharing among the countries in law-building and other areas of shared interest.

The APF is an inter-parliamentary organisation of the member countries of the Francophonie, which currently consists of 90 member sub-committees. The National Assembly of Vietnam has been an observer since 1974 and a full member of the APF since 1991./.