Hanoi (VNA) - Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man received Secretary-General of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, in Hanoi on August 25.

The AIPA leader is in Vietnam to attend the first-ever AIPA Roadshow held on the same day in the country.

Chairman Man warmly welcomed the AIPA Secretary-General and her delegation to Vietnam, noting the significance of the visit as the country is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), and preparing for the 80th anniversary of the first general NA election.

He commended the AIPA Roadshow initiative, proposed by the Secretary-General, as a meaningful programme that brings the younger generation closer to AIPA and its activities. He also appreciated her role and the AIPA Secretariat’s innovative efforts, which have contributed to enhancing the role and operational efficiency of AIPA, and strengthening relations among member parliaments.

Vietnam, he emphasised, is always an active and responsible member of AIPA.

Secretary-General Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman shared her delight at returning to Vietnam during this special time of National Day celebration and was impressed by the joyful and proud atmosphere throughout the country. She highlighted Vietnam's consistent and responsible participation in AIPA, especially in promoting initiatives related to youth, women, and sustainable development.

She also informed her host about key activities of the AIPA Roadshow in Vietnam, including panel discussions, interactive sessions, and experience-sharing between AIPA delegates and Vietnamese youth and students. She expressed her hope that the Vietnamese National Assembly would continue to support and strengthen cooperation with the AIPA Secretariat, particularly in promoting the role of youth and young parliamentarians in AIPA's activities.

On this occasion, the Secretary-General also extended an invitation to Chairman Man and a Vietnamese delegation to attend the upcoming 46th AIPA General Assembly, scheduled for September in Malaysia.

The top Vietnamese legislator stressed that ASEAN is entering a new phase of development, focusing on implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and cooperation strategies in politics-security, economy, culture-society, and connectivity. While opportunities abound, the region also faces significant challenges, especially amid increasingly complex and unpredictable global and regional dynamics. He stressed the need for greater solidarity and more effective cooperation among ASEAN countries to harness potential, develop new growth drivers, particularly in science, technology, digital transformation, and green transition.

All disputes and differences, he underscored, must be resolved peacefully, in the spirit of traditional solidarity and in accordance with shared principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Chairman Man called on AIPA member parliaments to continue enhancing exchanges of information and experience in legislation, oversight, and decision-making on key national issues. He encouraged further inter-parliamentary engagement, especially among young and female parliamentarians, as a foundation to strengthen ASEAN’s unity and cooperation.

He reaffirmed that the Vietnamese NA will continue to make active contributions to AIPA’s activities, focusing on parliamentary cooperation and policy and legal support for the region’s sustainable socio-economic development.

Through AIPA, Chairman Man noted, member parliaments can jointly build a solid legal foundation to support their respective governments in fulfilling ASEAN's commitments. The Vietnamese legislature is actively preparing and proposing topics for discussion in the AIPA Committees, and is ready to participate in debates, contribute to draft resolutions, and support initiatives proposed by other member parliaments, as well as the Joint Communiqué of the 46th AIPA General Assembly.

ꦺ He extended his best wishes to Secretary-General Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman for continued success, expressing his hope to meet her again at AIPA-46. He expressed his belief that in any future role, she will continue to make valuable contributions to AIPA’s development and the friendship among member countries./.