The 121st meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly opened in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 19, bringing together around 1,000 delegates from 153 member and associated nations.

The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was headed by Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations and President of the Vietnam National IPU Group.

During the course of three days, the IPU Assembly is scheduled to discuss a range of major issues, including coordination between the IPU and the UN, cooperation and shared responsibility in the global fight against organised crime, and, in particular drug and human trafficking, illegal arms sales, and trans-national terrorism.

The participants will also touch upon security, democracy, human rights and youth participation in the democratic progress.

Earlier, the Vietnamese parliamentarians also attended the IPU Executive Committee’s session which took place from Oct. 16-18.

Son paid a courtesy visit to IPU Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab and had a working session with the IPU General Secretary, Anders B. Johnsson, where he relayed Vietnam’s wish to strengthen relations with IPU.

The legislator said he hoped that the IPU would extend further help to Vietnam’s National Assembly in a joint effort to build a world of peace, cooperation, and development, with greater equality and democracy.

Established in 1889, the IPU is the oldest multi-national political organisation in the world. Based in Geneva, IPU currently has 153 member nations and eight associated parliaments./.