National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn speaks at the first plenary session on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn proposed major priority directions to promote parliaments’ role in strengthening ASEAN’s connectivity, while addressing the first plenary session of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45) in Vientiane, Laos, on October 19.

He said AIPA should work more closely with ASEAN to enhance solidarity, cooperation, and unity in diversity, along with promoting ASEAN’s spirit of independence, resilience, and strategic reliance, as well as international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Vietnamese leader stressed the need to review and assess the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and roll out cooperation strategies through 2045. This should focus on promoting harmonious, sustainable, inclusive, and comprehensive development, ensuring no one is left behind, with special attention to sub-regional cooperation and narrowing development gaps.

At the same time, AIPA needs to carry forward its role in complementing parliamentary diplomacy within the broader framework of state diplomacy among the ASEAN member countries and with ASEAN’s partners. It should provide greater support to governments with feasible solutions to help achieve ASEAN’s objectives.

Mẫn also touched upon enhancing cooperation among countries in natural disaster prevention and climate change response, ensuring a balance between development and environmental protection, as well as safeguarding food and water security.

He suggested the acceleration of digital transformation, green transition, and energy transition, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship to create new, sustainable growth drivers for ASEAN, alongside revitalising traditional growth engines.

The leader emphasised the harmonious, sustainable, and inclusive development with people as the centre, subject, driving force, resource, and target of development.

He held that since its inception nearly 60 years ago, ASEAN has made remarkable milestones, transforming Southeast Asia into a region of peace, prosperity, and stability, a bright spot for growth and global integration, and an active factor in shaping the regional structure, enhancing connectivity, and aligning interests of nations, particularly in promoting institution and policy linkages.

The NA Chairman affirmed that parliamentary cooperation will be a driving force in building a rules-based ASEAN Community. He also highlighted the spirit of solidarity and unity, and the sense of responsibility in building the community.

Given regional and global uncertainties, delegates shared the view on the need to strengthen comprehensive and sustainable connectivity across all aspects, from infrastructure to institutions, digitalisation, and people. In these collective efforts, parliamentary cooperation plays a crucial role in translating ASEAN’s commitments into concrete actions, fostering the harmonisation of institutions and policies, and consolidating the legal framework that supports regional integration and cooperation.

They said AIPA should uphold its role as a bridge, enabling citizens to participate more effectively in the decision-making process. They also concurred on enhancing the connectivity and coordination between ASEAN and AIPA in implementing the common goals, thus building a more cohesive and resilient ASEAN Community that takes people as the objective and the centre. — VNS