National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn boards the jet to return to Việt Nam, concluding his offcial visit to Laos on Saturday's evening. — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and a high-level delegation of the Vietnamese NA returned to Hà Nội on October 19 evening, successfully concluding their official visit to Laos and participation in the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45) at the invitation of Lao National Assembly Chairman and AIPA-45 President Saysomphone Phomvihane.

While there, the Vietnamese top legislator met with Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith, held a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and engaged in talks with his Lao counterpart Saysomphone Phomvihane.

Mẫn also met with leaders and former leaders of Laos and received Chairman of the Laos-Việt Nam Friendship Association Boviengkham Vongdara, Vice President of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Chanphenh Soutthivong, and President of State Audit Organisation of Laos Viengthavisone Thephachanh.

Mẫn and his Lao counterpart Phomvihane witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnamese NA’s Committee on External Relations and the Lao NA’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and another on the establishment of friendship cooperation ties between Hội An City in Việt Nam's Quảng Nam Province and Luang Prabang City in the Lao province of same name.

At the first plenary session of the AIPA-45, Mẫn delivered an important speech affirming that parliamentary cooperation will be a driving force in building a rules-based ASEAN Community, which reflects the voice and aspirations of the people, takes the people as the objective and the centre of all development policies, thus bringing about comprehensive and profound changes for the community and each member state. To further enhance the role of parliaments in strengthening connectivity, he proposed five priority directions for the near future.

On the sidelines of AIPA-45, the Vietnamese top legislator had bilateral meetings with heads of delegations from Thailand, Singapore, and Belarus.

The visit once again reaffirms the consistent policy of the Party and State in prioritising and valuing the development of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos. It also underscores Việt Nam's strong and comprehensive support for Laos in its renewal process, as well as in its national construction and defence.

The participation of NA Chairman Mẫn and the NA high-level delegation at AIPA-45 reflects Việt Nam's proactive and active engagement in and responsible contributions of the Vietnamese NA to efforts of other ASEAN member countries to reinforce the central role, unity, and solidarity within ASEAN, promote intra-regional cooperation, and expand multifaceted relations with parliaments in and outside the region, thus promoting AIPA's responsibilities and role in ensuring peace, stability, and development; and proposing valuable initiatives to share and assist ASEAN member countries' governments in addressing priority issues in the region. — VNS