NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn welcomed Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) will create favourable conditions for the signing and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements between Việt Nam and Timor-Leste, said NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

Receiving Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Chairman Mẫn congratulated Timor-Leste on officially becoming a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and affirmed Việt Nam’s constant support for the country’s accession process and participation in the bloc’s cooperation mechanisms.`

PM Gusmão, who is on an official visit to Việt Nam where he is also attending the third ASEAN Future Forum 2026, stressed that Timor-Leste attaches great importance to its friendship and cooperation with Việt Nam, and thanked Việt Nam for its consistent support throughout the country’s ASEAN membership journey. He expressed his hope that Việt Nam would continue to share its experience in national development and regional and international integration.

The Timorese leader said he is impressed by Việt Nam's rapid development, describing the country as a model of post-war recovery, resilience and sustainable growth. He expressed his interest in learning from Việt Nam’s experience in innovative mindset, institutional development and harnessing domestic strengths to build a self-reliant economy.

Chairman Mẫn welcomed the outcomes of the Timorese PM’s high-level meetings with Vietnamese leaders and hailed the two countries’ signing of a visa exemption agreement for holders of ordinary passports, describing it as a significant step towards facilitating people-to-people exchanges and strengthening cooperation in trade and tourism.

Discussing Việt Nam–Timor-Leste ties, Chairman Mẫn noted with satisfaction that they have continued to develop positively over more than two decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2002. Bilateral trade maintained its growth momentum and reached US$18.7 million in 2025, he said, adding that considerable potential remains for expanding join work in trade, investment, agriculture, oil and gas, fishery, construction, culture and tourism.

The top legislator proposed the two governments continue negotiations on new cooperation agreements and reaffirmed the Vietnamese legislature’s readiness to facilitate the signing and implementation of bilateral arrangements.

He also called for the effective implementation of existing agreements, including the framework agreement on technical and economic cooperation signed in April 2010, while encouraging broader collaboration in education and training, agriculture, digital transformation and human resources development.

On parliamentary cooperation, Chairman Mẫn suggested the two legislatures increase high-level exchanges and contacts between parliamentary bodies and lawmakers, while sharing experience in legislation, monitoring, and decision-making on key national issues. He also proposed closer consultation and mutual support within the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and other regional and international parliamentary forums.

He stressed the Vietnamese NA’s support for the National Parliament of Timor-Leste's bid to become a full member of AIPA.

PM Gusmão, for his part, praised the role of the two legislatures in creating favourable legal frameworks for bilateral cooperation and called for their stronger exchanges.

He underscored Timor-Leste’s desire to deepen practical cooperation with Việt Nam in trade, investment, agriculture, education-training, human resources development, digital transformation and people-to-people exchanges. He also expressed his wish to maintain close coordination with Việt Nam within ASEAN and at regional and international forums, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region.

On this occasion, Chairman Mẫn extended an invitation to the Speaker of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste and other parliamentary leaders to visit Việt Nam at a mutually convenient time.

He also called on Timor-Leste to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses and the Vietnamese community living, studying and operating in the country, enabling them to contribute to Timor-Leste’s development while serving as a bridge of friendship between the two nations. — VNA/VNS