Jakarta (VNA) ♏– Vietnamhas made important contributions to ASEANInter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and preparations for the AIPA-44which is to take place in Indonesia, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia TaVan Thong.

The ambassador told Vietnam News Agency correspondents inJakarta during an interview ahead of Vietnamese National AssemblyChairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s official visit to Indonesia and attendance at theAIPA-44 in the Indonesian capital city from August 4-7.   Thong said the Vietnam-Indonesia strategicpartnership has been growing across politics, diplomacy, nationaldefence-security, economy, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchange. InASEAN, Indonesia is the largest market with over 285 million consumers, whileVietnam is the third largest market with 100 million people and an impressiveeconomic growth rate. In the first four months of this year,two-way trade surpassed 4.2 billion USD. Of which, 1.6 billion USD was Vietnam’sexports to Indonesia, up 9% annually. This year’s figure is expected to exceed15 billion USD. Both countries are pushing forward agreementsbetween Ho Chi Minh City and Bali province, and between Hue city and Denpasar city.Indonesia continues to offer scholarships to Vietnamese students in trainingand cultural exchange programmes. The number of tourists from the two nations isincreasing, with each country having around 70,000-80,000 people choosingto travel to the other country. Direct flights linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Jakarta and Bali have been resumed. They are exploring the possibility ofopening more routes to other destinations such as Da Nang and Yogyakarta. He expressed his belief that Vietnam willonce again play a crucial role in promoting discussions and shaping outcomes ofAIPA-44. Vietnam has proposed three draft resolutions aimed at addressing keychallenges in the region and fostering cooperation among AIPA’s memberparliaments, which reflect Vietnam's dedication to issues such as promotinginnovation, sci-tech, and digital transformation with a focus on women. As a country with the highest number offemale parliamentarians among AIPA members, Vietnam has raised important voicesin advocating increased participation of women in politics in ASEAN. The WomenParliamentarians of AIPA (WAIPA), established in 1998, is stepping upinitiatives to enhance the capacity and leadership ability of women throughtheir engagement in political activities this year, he said. As the host of the 14th AIPA AdvisoryGroup Meeting (AIPA Caucus 14), the Vietnamese NA introduced a publication entitled"Promoting the application of ASEAN Guidelines for Responsible Investmentin Food, Agriculture, and Forestry: A Practical Handbook for ASEANParliamentarians" to be presented at the AIPA-44. By addressing these pressing concerns,Vietnam contributed to the overall goals of the AIPA-44 in formulatingeffective parliamentary measures for ASEAN parliaments to respond morepromptly, he said. Commenting on Vietnam’s role and position inASEAN in general and AIPA in particular, Thong said since its admission to ASEAN in1995, Vietnam has always been an active member making significant contributionsto the development process of ASEAN as well as peace, stability, cooperationand development in the region as a whole. According to him, Vietnam has always beenproactive, positive, and responsible in its participation in ASEAN'sactivities, with notable milestones such as the 1998 Hanoi Plan of Action, theexpanded East Asia Summit mechanism, and the establishment of the ASEAN DefenceMinisters' Meeting Plus (ADMM ) in 2010. Amid difficulties caused by COVID-19pandemic, Vietnam accomplished its role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, leading to theissuance of the Joint Statement of the 37th ASEAN Summit withinitiatives to help ASEAN countries proactively respond to the pandemic andrecover supply chains. Notably, the signing of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP) deal, with a market size of 2.2 billion people andaround 30% of global GDP, is a testament to Vietnam's credibility incoordinating, leading and promoting cooperation frameworks, from proactive integration tobeing an active and responsible member, and in maintaining and upholdingASEAN's central role in the regional architecture. The diplomat also highlighted Vietnam'sactive participation and constructive contributions to AIPA meetings, includingthe upcoming AIPA-44, as well as Vietnam's commitment to improving AIPA and itsdedication to the organisation's principles and objectives./.