NA Permanent Vice Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn (R) meets with IPU President Duarte Pacheco on the sidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly in Bahrain. VNA/VNS Photo

MANAMA — Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn had separate meetings with President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco and Vice President of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachak in Manama, Bahrain, on Sunday on the sidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly.

Meeting with IPU President Duarte Pacheco, Man affirmed that since Việt Nam became a member of the IPU in 1979, the country has always actively and responsively engaged in its activities, including the successful hosting of some big events such as the 132nd IPU Assembly and the IPU Asia-Pacific conference on climate change response.

He said that Việt Nam’s hosting of the upcoming IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians once again affirms the country’s commitments, as well as its great attention to the role of the youth in global issues.

Man hailed the role of IPU leaders over the years, especially in strengthening the collaboration between the union and member parliaments for common targets of peace, democracy and prosperity.

He said that the Vietnamese NA always considers the engagement in IPU activities as an important multilateral diplomatic task that aims to seek solutions to urgent global issues. The IPU provides a forum for the Vietnamese legislature to learn good practices of other parliaments in the world and enhance its operational efficiency, Mẫn added.

Pacheco said that the IPU and the Vietnamese NA share common values for a better world. The union always defines dialogue as an effective tool to narrow differences and settle crises and conflicts, he said, expressing his hope that the parliaments of all UN member states will become members of the IPU.

The IPU leader welcomed Việt Nam’s hosting of the 9th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in September, affirming that the union will work closely with Việt Nam for the success of the event.

Pacheco said he believed that Việt Nam will continue to be a responsible member of the IPU with the contributions of valuable ideas to the union and the willingness to perform tasks in the IPU in the time to come.

Meeting with his Lao counterpart Sounthone Xayachak the same day, Mẫn underlined that Việt Nam always gives the highest priority to the reinforcement and enhancement of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, and always accompanies and supports Laos during the country’s national protection, construction, reform and development.

Regarding the relationship between the two legislatures, Mẫn said that he is pleased at the effective implementation of the cooperation agreement signed in May 2022.

The two countries have actively shared experience in law building and supervision, contributing to supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery, he noted, suggesting that the two sides continue to work together in realising their cooperation agreement, while promoting the mechanism of high-level meeting of the Cambodia-Laos-Việt Nam (CLV)’s parliaments, and collaborating in supervising the implementation of international conventions that the two sides have signed, especially those on trade and investment, thus strengthening the connectivity between the two economies.

Sounthone highly valued the outcomes of the Laos-Việt Nam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022 as well as the partnership between the two legislatures at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums over the years. He agreed with his Vietnamese counterpart on the enhancement of ties in supervising bilateral investment and cooperation projects, contributing to removing obstacles facing them and enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Sounthone expressed his hope to collaborate with Việt Nam and Cambodia to organise the first meeting of the CLV’s NA leaders in December.

He also asked for the Vietnamese NA’s support for the Lao NA to complete its tasks as the AIPA Chair in 2024. VNS