Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Uong Chu Luu paid a working visit to Sweden on December 9-10 to foster friendship and bilateral cooperation between the two countries and parliaments.

During his stay, the NA Vice Chairman held a working session with Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Per Westerberg who highly valued the long-standing relations between the two countries and expressed his delight at the progress of the bilateral ties.

The Swedish top legislator underlined that Vietnam and Sweden should continue expanding their economic and tourism cooperation, while enhancing exchanges of delegations for peace, development and prosperity in both countries.

At the talks with the NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu, Swedish Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask recalled her recent visit to Vietnam earlier this year and expressed her impression at the people and nation of Vietnam.

During his visit, Luu also had meetings with Chairman of the Stockholm City Council, heads of the Parliament’s Committees for Foreign Affairs and Justice, Chief Judge of the Swedish Supreme Court.

The Swedish side introduced the organisation, functions and missions of each office, while sharing operation experience of the Parliament, Court and Ministry of Justice. They also learned about the new contents of the amended Constitution of Vietnam and highly appreciated law-building and judicial reform process in Vietnam .

For his part, NA Vice Chairman Luu said Vietnam appreciates Sweden ’s support in its past struggle for independence and unification as well as the current national construction and development in the country.

He informed that the National Assembly of Vietnam will host the 132 nd Assembly of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) in March 2015 and conveyed the invitation from NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung to the Swedish Parliament Speaker to attend the event.

The two sides expressed pleasure at the sound cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden over the past years, while studying each other’s experience on building a law-governed state, legislative activities, budget decision and parliamentary supervision.

They agreed that more efforts should be exerted in order to beef up ties between the two countries and parliaments as the two nations are celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2014.

While meeting staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and community in Sweden, the NA leader briefed them on the situation in their homeland as well as policies and directions of the Party and State on Overseas Vietnamese. He also gave much time to answer questions raised by the Vietnamese community.-VNA