A seminar on the role of Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) and its supporting agencies in bettering the State apparatus opened in Hanoi on Aug. 10.

Jointly held by the Institute for Legislative Studies and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the seminar is a forum to exchange information relating to the political system, the legal position, the organisational structure and the operations of the Vietnamese NA and the Japanese parliament and their supporting organs.

According to Deputy NA Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien and Japanese Ambassador Sakaba Mitsuo, the two-day seminar also offered a chance for tighter cooperation between the two legislative bodies as well as ties between the Institute for Legislative Studies and the JICA.

During 20 years of renewal, the NA’s role has been strengthened, Head of the Institute for Legislative Studies Dinh Xuan Thao said.

The Vietnamese legislative body has made important changes, making positive contributions to boosting economic growth, stabilising the socio-economy, consolidating national security and defence and promoting Vietnam ’s position in the world, he said.

According to Prof. Ph.D. Tran Ngoc Duong, the NA has made changes in defining its functions, duties, and power with an orientation towards building a law-governed State of the people, by the people and for the people.

One future general orientation for a stronger NA is to continue to retool its organisation and the scope of its activities in combination with revamping the political system.

Meanwhile, Director of the Information, Library and Scientific Study Centre, Phung Van Hung, suggested that the organisational structure of the NA Office, a supporting arm of the assembly, should be built based on the demand for such support by the NA and its deputies.

Delegates to the seminar also heard about differences between the Japanese parliament and the Vietnamese NA./.