Geneva (VNA) - Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man has held brief meetings with heads of delegations from several countries on the sidelines of the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP 6) in Geneva, Switzerland.

On July 30, the top Vietnamese legislator met with Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia; Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan; Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore; Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of Azerbaijan; and Peter Samt, President of the Federal Council of Austria.

At the meetings, the foreign parliamentary leaders expressed their delight at the notable progress in bilateral ties, including inter-parliamentary cooperation. They also recognised Vietnam’s growing regional and international standing and conveyed their desires to strengthen ties with Vietnam across various sectors.

Both Matviyenko and Gafarova spoke highly of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam’s historic visits to their respective countries in May 2025. They noted that the bilateral relations have made great strides, with long-standing issues being removed.

Matviyenko expressed her special impression at the recent visit to Russia by the spouse of Party General Secretary To Lam. She noted the cultural significance of that visit, which included events that captured wide public interest, such as the inauguration of Ho Chi Minh Square and Russia-Vietnam Culture Centre in Saint Petersburg. In their meeting, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Fukushiro Nukaga agreed with NA Chairman Man’s proposal on accelerating the implementation of the signed agreements and joining hands with the two governments to deepen the bilateral cooperation.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng affirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, pledging continued support for the Vietnamese NA in adopting digital technologies and AI.

The Singaporean leader also committed to maintaining close collaboration at inter-parliamentary forums, particularly the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

President of the Federal Council of Austria Peter Samt, for his part, acknowledged Vietnam's recommendations to speed up the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, advocate for the European Commission to promptly remove the IUU "yellow card" against Vietnamese seafood exports, and establish a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments.

NA Chairman Man suggested the leaders to advance high-level visits and exchanges, actively follow up on outcomes of recent trips, and promote collaboration between parliamentary committees and agencies as well as parliamentarian groups.

He took the occasion to extend invitations to the parliamentary heads of Japan, Singapore, and Austria to visit Vietnam to boost bilateral and inter-parliamentary relations.

On July 29, NA Chairman Man held meetings with Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pak Il Chol; Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Woo Won Shik, and Speaker of the Mazhilis – the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament Yerlan Koshanov.At his meeting with Pak Il Chol, NA Chairman Man conveyed regards from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, State President Luong Cuong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un, and Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Pak Thae Song.

Pak Il Chol agreed on the need to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as economic and trade collaboration, and facilitate goods exchanges in line with international regulations.

At his meeting with Woo Won Shik, Chairman Man was assured that the RoK side would closely coordinate with Vietnam to make thorough preparations for an upcoming visit to the RoK by a high-level Vietnamese leader.

Meanwhile, Yerlan Koshanov welcomed the significance of Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Kazakhstan in May 2025, and agreed that both sides should work to concretise the outcomes of the visit.

NA Chairman Man called on the heads of the three legislatures to continue close coordination in preparing for upcoming high-level visits and meetings, effectively carry out the outcomes of recent visits, and further deepen and expand comprehensive cooperation across all channels and sectors in which their countries have strengths and Vietnam has demand.

He also proposed enhancing parliamentary cooperation, exchanges, and coordination at all levels in a more substantive and effective manner./.