Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes Bangladeshi President Md. Abdul Hamid in Hanoi on August 10, 2015 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s upcoming official visit to Bangladesh from September 21 aims to reinforce and promote the relations between the two countries and two legislatures, stated Vice Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Le Anh Tuan.
Tuan said that during this visit, Chairman Hue, on behalf of top leaders of Vietnam, will join leaders of Bangladesh in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations (1973-2023).
The official underlined that amid the fast, unpredictable and complicated developments in the region and the world, the strengthening of ties between the two countries, who are traditional friends, through the parliamentary channel is expected to contribute to foster ties between the two countries and parliaments.
He noted that the Vietnam-Bangladesh relations have been continuously developed with political trust built through visits and meetings via all channels and at all levels.
The two sides have set up many important cooperation mechanisms, including a Joint Committee on economic, cultural, science and technology cooperation. Economic and trade partnership has been a highlight of the bilateral partnership, he said, noting that two-way trade has increased four times in the past decade to approach the target of 2 billion USD. The two countries have extended their memorandum of understanding on rice trading until 2027, he added.
Both Bangladesh and Vietnam are big markets with populations of 170 million and 100 million, respectively, which boast great potential and abundant opportunities to continue bolstering their cooperation in a stronger and more effective manner in the time to come, stressed the official.
The two countries have organised many joint cultural and people-to-people exchange activities, as well as events to honour President Ho Chi Minh and Bangladeshi leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Vietnam and Bangladesh have coordinated closely in conducting UN peacekeeping missions, and both countries have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure, which is an advantage for them to promote collaboration in issues of shared concern, including human rights.
The parliaments of Vietnam and Bangladesh have worked together in promoting and supervising the implementation of signed cooperation agreements. They have regularly coordinated at international and regional parliamentary forums in which both are members, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership meeting (ASEP).
The official said that the visit of NA Chairman Hue will focus on seeking measures to reinforce, beef up and expand the friendship, effective and substantial cooperation between the two countries across all fields. This content will be discussed at his talks and meeting with the Speaker of the Bangladeshi Parliament as well as the Bangladeshi President, as well as in his speech at the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy.
During the visit, NA Chairman Hue will deliver an important speech at the forum on policy and law serving the promotion of economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries with the attendance of representatives from ministries, sectors and businesses of the two sides.
The two parliaments are also scheduled to sign their first memorandum of understanding on cooperation, enabling them to share experience in law-building, supervision and other fields, and support each other at international forums. The two sides will announce the establishment of Friendship Parliamentarians’ Groups of the two countries on the occasion.
NA Chairman Hue will also have meetings with representatives from Bangladeshi political parties during the visit, said Tuan.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong (Photo: VNA) Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong also granted an interview to Vietnam News Agency on the NA leader's visit, in which he highlighted the growth of ties between the two countries over the past 50 years in all fields from politics, diplomacy to economy, culture, science, education, security and defence, as well as achievements of bilateral parliamentary cooperation.
The ambassador emphasised the important contributions by the two parliaments in the results, noting that they have maintained regular visits, meetings and experience sharing as well as mutual support and coordination at regional and international parliamentary forums.
The diplomat pointed to many similarities between the two sides, including those in their external policies of peace, cooperation and friendship. The 170-million-strong country is a promising market for Vietnamese firms in all fields, he held.
The Vietnamese top legislator’s upcoming visit to Bangladesh carries a special meaning, expected to create a new momentum for the growth of the traditional friendship and all-round ties between the two countries, the ambassador stressed./.
