Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou discussed the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, co-operation among ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) member parliaments in response to the pandemic, and construction of the NA House of Laos during their phone talks on Thursday.

Briefing Pany on the COVID-19 fight in Việt Nam, Ngân said the infection rate in Việt Nam is among the world’s lowest, adding that the country has basically pushed back the pandemic.

For her part, Pany said Việt Nam’s experience in the fight against the pandemic is an invaluable lesson for all countries and Laos in particular.

As of Thursday morning, Laos had reported 19 infections, eight of whom have fully recovered, and zero fatalities.

The Lao Government is easing social distancing measures by allowing students to return to school, she said.

The Lao leader thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for providing timely support to Laos in its fight against COVID-19.

As Chair of the 41st AIPA General Assembly, Ngân called on the ASEAN Community to uphold solidarity and offer mutual support to each other to cope with the pandemic.

She said that the Vietnamese legislature will do everything it can and partner with AIPA member parliaments to ensure its success as AIPA Chair in 2020.

The top Lao lawmaker expressed her support for the sharing of experience between AIPA member parliaments in the fight against COVID-19, as Ngân wrote in a letter sent to heads of AIPA member parliaments on March 30.

She said she believed that the Vietnamese NA will successfully hold the 41st AIPA General Assembly in the near future.

The Vietnamese leader took the occasion to invite Pany to attend a meeting of ASEAN-AIPA leaders at the 36th ASEAN Summit scheduled for late June in the central city of Đà Nẵng. The Lao leader accepted the invitation.

Regarding the construction of the NA House - a gift from the Vietnamese Party, State and people to Laos - both sides agreed to allow an additional 100 highly-skilled workers from Việt Nam to take part in completing the work, with equipment to be imported and the remaining interior design to be completed shortly.

They expressed determination to complete the project in December 2020 or January 2021 to celebrate the 11th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.

The two leaders also pledged to continue discussing issues of mutual concern via phone talks. — VNS