National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyễn Khắc Định addresses the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress held in St. Petersburg in Russia, with the theme "Ecology: A Right, Not a Privilege." — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Trinh

MOSCOW — Parliaments should review and complete their national legal framework to create optimal conditions for the building and implementation of economic transition policies towards green, circular economy to match the sustainable development goals and international commitments on climate change, environmental protection and biodiversity preservation, National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Nguyễn Khắc Định has stated.

Định made the statement at the 10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress held in St. Petersburg in Russia, with the theme "Ecology: A Right, Not a Privilege," which drew nearly 1,500 delegates from 52 countries and territories.

Lauding the theme of the congress, the Vietnamese representative said that Việt Nam always put the people at the centre and considered the people as the most important motivation and highest target of sustainable development.

Việt Nam’s commitment to net-zero emission by 2050 given at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) showed the country’s determination and responsibility in joining hands with the international community in addressing global challenges in climate, environment and biodiversity downgrading, heading to a healthy planet, Định said.

He underlined that it was necessary to build a suitable legal corridor, encouraging and supporting organisations, individuals and businesses to operate in a green and sustainable manner.

Parliaments should strengthen the supervision over governments in building and implementing the roadmap for economic transition together with the post-pandemic recovery and climate change efforts.

At the same time, they should strengthen international cooperation and parliamentary collaboration to mobilise resources for the promotion of technology transfer, experience sharing and financial and technical support for efforts to respond to climate change and protect the biological environment for sustainable development, he said.

He also stressed the need to allocate budget properly, taking the transformation of growth model as the foundation, ensuring that the realisation of climate commitments of countries is suitable to their capacity and development level.

On the sidelines of the event, Định had a meeting with Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federal Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, who affirmed that for Russia, Việt Nam is always a friend and an important partner.

He expressed hope for an expanded partnership between the two countries in many areas, including parliamentary cooperation.

Định said that during their working session, First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of Federal Assembly of Russia (upper house) Andrey Yatskin handed over to Việt Nam a proposed plan on cooperation between the Federation Council of Federal Assembly of Russia and the Vietnamese NA, which comprises 17 major contents.

He also conveyed NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ’s regards to Matviyenko, and invited her to visit Việt Nam soon. Matviyenko accepted the invitation with pleasure.

NA Vice Chairman Định and the Vietnamese delegation also planted a tree at the Tauride Garden within the framework of the congress.

Also on May 26, he had a meeting with the Vietnamese community in St. Petersburg. — VNS