Manama (VNA) – Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly(NA) Tran Thanh Man had separate meetings withPresident of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco and Vice President of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachak in Manama, Bahrain, on March 12 on thesidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly.

Meeting with IPU President Duarte Pacheco, Man affirmedthat since Vietnam became a member of the IPU in 1979, the country has always activelyand responsively engaged in its activities, including the successful hosting of somebig events such as the 132nd IPU Assembly and the IPUAsia-Pacific conference on climate change response.

He said that Vietnam’s hosting of the upcoming IPU Global Conference of YoungParliamentarians once again affirms the country’s commitments, as well as itsgreat attention to the role of the youth in global issues.

Man hailed the role of IPU leaders over theyears, especially in strengthening the collaboration between the union and memberparliaments for common targets of peace, democracy and prosperity.

He said thatthe Vietnamese NA always considers the engagement in IPU activities as animportant multilateral diplomatic task that aims to seek solutions to urgent globalissues. The IPU provides a forum for the Vietnamese legislature to learn goodpractices of other parliaments in the world and enhance its operationalefficiency, Man added.

For his part, Pacheco said that the IPU andthe Vietnamese NA share common values of a better world. The union alwaysdefines dialogue as an effective tool to narrow differences and settle crisesand conflicts, he said, expressing his hope that the parliaments of all UN memberstates will become members of the IPU.

The IPU leader welcomed Vietnam’s hostingof the 9th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in September, affirming that theunion will work closely with Vietnam for the success of the event.

Pacheco said hebelieved that Vietnam will continue to be a responsible member of the IPU withthe contributions of valuable ideas to the union and the willingness to performtasks in the IPU in the time to come.

Meeting with his Lao counterpart SounthoneXayachak the same day, Man underlined that Vietnam always gives the highestpriority to the reinforcement and enhancement of the traditional friendship,special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, and alwaysaccompanies and supports Laos during the country’s national protection,construction, reform and development.

Regarding the relationship between the twolegislatures, Man said that he is pleased at the effective implementation ofthe cooperation agreement signed in May 2022.

The two sides have actively shared experience in law building and supervision, contributingto supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery, he noted, suggesting thatthe two sides continue to work together in realising their cooperation agreement,while promoting the mechanism of high-level meeting of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV)’s parliaments,and collaborating in supervising the implementation of internationalconventions that the two sides have signed, especially those on trade andinvestment, thus strengthening the connectivity between the two economies.

Sounthone highly valued the outcomesof the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022 as well as thepartnership between the two legislatures at regional and internationalinter-parliamentary forums over the years. He agreed with his Vietnamesecounterpart on the enhancement of ties in supervising bilateral investmentand cooperation projects, contributing to removing obstacles facing them and enhancingbilateral cooperation.

Sounthone expressed his hope to collaborate with Vietnam and Cambodia toorganise the first meeting of the CLV’s NA leaders in December.

He also asked for the Vietnamese NA’ssupport for the Lao NA to complete its tasks as the AIPA Chair in 2024./.