National Assembly Chairwoman speaks at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The ASEAN Leaders’ Interface withRepresentatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) as part of thevirtual 36th ASEAN Summit on June 26 was a success particularly in terms of thegovernment – parliament connection, said Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau on the sideline of the event.
According to Giau, if there was no COVID-19 pandemic, participantsof the function would have discussed more issues, including the commitmentsamong governments in the ASEAN Community and the implementation of policies andagreements.
The interface focused on discussing COVID-19-relatedmatters, with delegates hailing concerted efforts made by governments,parliaments and people of ASEAN member states. Such efforts have contributed toinitially controlling the pandemic.
Highlighting the speech given by NA Chairwoman Nguyen ThiKim Ngan as Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the AIPA (AIPA-41), theofficial said it sent the message initiated by the Vietnamese legislature andagreed by parliaments of member states.
Regarding Vietnam’s AIPA chairmanship as part of its ASEAN Chair2020, Giau said the pandemic has changed many traditional activities, forexample, face-to-face meetings replaced by online ones. Virtue meetings hostedby Vietnam are highly evaluated by ASEAN governments and law-making bodies, henoted.
Concerning the contribution of Vietnam as AIPA 41 Chair toCOVID-19 prevention and control and building a strong ASEAN Community, hementioned the NA leader’s letter that urged AIPA member parliaments to joinhands in protecting ASEAN from the pandemic. The letter has received positivefeedback, he added.
The interface demonstrated a sense of responsibility ofVietnam as the host country of ASEAN and AIPA in 2020 as well as the spirit ofsolidarity and consensus of ASEAN member countries in their joint work toovercome the pandemic and further enhance their determination of building the ASEANCommunity.
At the function, the Vietnamese NA spoke highly of andagreed with positive progress recorded in the ASEAN Community, which under thechairmanship of Vietnam this year, will sustain bloc solidarity and promoteASEAN’s central role in the region. The Vietnamese NA is working to prepare thecontent and theme of the AIPA-41 General Assembly.
Participants of the interface hoped AIPA would continue itsrole as an important partner of ASEAN, boost cooperation, dialogue, andinformation exchange among parliaments, and coordinate in the implementation ofthe programme on building the ASEAN community./.
VNA
