Hanoi (VNA) – A resolution of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on the establishment of the Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Organisation for the 16th-tenure NA was announced at a ceremony in Hanoi on August 21, attended by NA President Tran Thanh Man.
Under the resolution, the Presidium comprises one chairperson, three vice chairpersons and one secretary-general. Politburo member and NA Permanent Vice President Do Van Chien has been appointed Chairperson of the Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation for the 16th-tenure NA.
Addressing the ceremony, NA President Man said the announcement of the resolution was an important event in the NA’s activities and in external relations between the Vietnamese legislature and parliaments around the world.
He noted that after 40 years of Doi Moi (renewal), Vietnam has made important and comprehensive achievements in economic and social development, defence, security, external relations and Party and political system building. External affairs have played an important role in these achievements, helping enhance Vietnam’s international position and prestige and creating a firm foundation and confidence for the country to enter a new era.
Pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation, diversification and proactive, comprehensive and extensive international integration, external affairs have become a key and regular task in the cause of national construction, defence and development, he said. Parliamentary diplomacy has increasingly demonstrated its distinctive role and become closely linked with Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, serving as an important diplomatic channel contributing to Vietnam’s overall external relations.
The NA President said that alongside its legislative, supervisory and decision-making functions, the NA’s external activities aim to maintain and promote friendship between the Vietnamese legislature and parliaments, political circles and people of other countries; mobilise resources for national development; deepen bilateral parliamentary relations; and proactively participate in multilateral parliamentary forums and international integration.
He stressed that friendship parliamentarians’ groups have become active bridges in parliamentary cooperation, helping strengthen mutual understanding and political trust and promote support for Vietnam among foreign lawmakers, parliaments and political circles.
To ensure the organisation operates effectively, the NA President urged the group chairpersons and deputies to devote time, dedication, intellect and experience to their activities. He also called on ambassadors and diplomatic missions in Vietnam to support the NA’s external activities and those of friendship parliamentarians’ groups, thereby promoting relations between the legislature and people of Vietnam and parliaments, parliamentarians and people of countries.
He expressed his belief that the organisation would build on the achievements and experience of previous tenures and make practical contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries and between the Vietnamese NA and foreign parliaments.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, Chairperson Do Van Chien thanked NA President Man for his guidance and pledged that the Presidium would translate it into concrete action programmes, working closely with relevant agencies and NA deputies to strengthen mutual understanding, trust and friendship between the Vietnamese NA and foreign parliaments.
He emphasised that parliamentary friendship serves as a bridge connecting legislatures, helping consolidate trust, enhance cooperation and contribute to building a peaceful, prosperous and happy world./.
