Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Thị Thanh and President of the French National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet. VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS – Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Thị Thanh held a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of the French Parliament and various mechanisms of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) as part of her trip to France to attend the 50th APF General Assembly (APF-50) from July 12–13.

At her meetings with President of the French National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet and President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher, Thanh highly appreciated the role of the French Parliament in the APF and congratulated France on successfully hosting APF-50. She emphasised the sound bilateral relations between Việt Nam and France, noting that in 2024, France became the first country in the European Union to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Việt Nam.

Braun-Pivet commended the contributions of female parliamentarians, highlighting their role in promoting gender equality and sustainable development. She thanked the Vietnamese NA for sending a high-level delegation to attend APF-50, underscoring Việt Nam’s active role and responsibility in the APF and the Francophone community. The official also appreciated the strong inter-parliamentary ties maintained through delegation exchanges and activities of parliamentary friendship groups.

Meanwhile, Gérard Larcher recalled his impressions from his visit to Việt Nam in 2022 and his special affection for the country, expressing his hope for further strengthened relations between the two countries and their legislative bodies.

At her meeting with APF First Vice President and President of the National Assembly of Québec (Canada) Nathalie Roy, Thanh praised Québec’s efforts to promote Francophone values, especially the French language, and its contributions to the APF. She proposed enhancing cooperation to further develop Việt Nam–Canada relations, particularly with Québec.

Roy thanked the Vietnamese NA and its Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn for the warm reception during her visit to Việt Nam in January 2025 to attend the APF Executive Committee Meeting and the Francophone Parliamentary Forum. She expressed interest in further cooperation within the APF framework, especially in the exchange and sharing of experiences, with a focus on promoting the roles of women in parliaments and female leaders.

Thanh also met with Ouch Borith, First Vice President of the Cambodian Senate, during which, both sides expressed their satisfaction with the robust development of solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Cambodia. They noted frequent high-level exchanges and close coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums, contributing to the promotion of initiatives for peace, cooperation, and development.

In a meeting with Mars Di Bartolomeo, Vice President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies and APF Budget Commissioner, Thanh thanked him for his longstanding affection for Việt Nam and late President Hồ Chí Minh, noting his participation in protests in support of peace for Việt Nam when he was a young journalist.

Di Bartolomeo reaffirmed his keen interest in Việt Nam and his commitment to promoting Việt Nam –Luxembourg relations, including close coordination at multilateral platforms such as the APF. He also expressed his desire to return to Việt Nam soon, following his recent trip to Cần Thơ for the APF Executive Committee Meeting.

Thanh also met with the Chair of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, the Chair of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, regional representatives from the Asia-Pacific and the Americas, and the APF Secretary-General.

She lauded the roles of APF mechanisms in implementing the APF’s strategic framework, organising thematic conferences and seminars, and promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation programmes within its subcommittees, particularly those focused on young and female parliamentarians. VNA/VNS