President of the Senate Dato' Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah sees off National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and his spouse. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam returned to Hà Nội on Friday, wrapping up their five-day working trip for attendance at the 46th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-46) and an official visit to Malaysia.

Within the framework of the AIPA-46 General Assembly, the top Vietnamese legislator attended the Executive Committee meeting, the opening ceremony, and delivered a keynote address at the first plenary session.

In his remarks, he emphasised that AIPA, together with its member parliaments, is playing a pioneering role in building a future of equal development opportunities and shared prosperity for all ASEAN people.

He proposed three important priority areas for the ASEAN Inter‑Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to focus on in the coming time. They include strengthening regional cooperation by serving as a bridge to wider participation in realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2045; taking the lead in building institutions and policies to ensure that regional commitments and agreements are effectively implemented in practice, particularly in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

AIPA should actively contribute to consolidating a stronger social foundation for regional cooperation by encouraging, formulating, and implementing activities that nurture and spread community awareness and identity; enhancing communication, and promoting cooperation in culture, education, tourism, as well as organising exchange and interaction activities. It should actively expand and deepen its external relations, thereby helping to consolidate the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s role as a central hub in the network of regional and global linkages and cooperation, he said.

Chairman Mẫn affirmed that the Vietnamese NA will continue to stand side by side with AIPA to turn ASEAN’s vision and aspirations into reality; and build an inclusive, sustainable, resilient, creative, and dynamic ASEAN Community that truly puts people at its centre.

On the sidelines, he held bilateral meetings with parliamentary heads of AIPA member states and partners.

During his official visit to Malaysia, the NA leader had a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, held talks with Speaker of the House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato’ Johari bin Abdul, and President of the Senate Dato’ Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah.  

At the meetings, both sides expressed their delight at the substantive progress in bilateral ties, particularly since the elevation of relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November last year.

The two sides agreed on the importance of consolidating political trust and implementing the 2025–2030 Action Programme for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They discussed measures to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation toward the 18 billion USD trade target, with emphasis on halal products, renewable and green energy, digital transformation, agriculture, tourism, and education.

Parliamentary cooperation was also highlighted, with consensus on enhancing high-level and committee-level exchanges, promoting interaction among women and young parliamentarians, and sharing legislative experiences to support the implementation of new cooperation areas. Both sides stressed the need to jointly supervise the execution of international treaties and agreements already signed.

In Kuala Lumpur, Chairman Mẫn had a working session with leaders of Malaysia’s national oil company Petronas, and met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community.

The visit has contributed to deepening political trust and advancing practical cooperation across all fields, reaffirming Việt Nam’s commitment to coordinating with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to build a resilient, inclusive, and united ASEAN Community with strengthened centrality in the regional architecture. — VNA/VNS