Vietnam proposes three priorities for inter-parliamentary cooperation at IPU-153

Three priorities for parliamentary cooperation

At the General Debate of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153) in Arusha, Tanzania, on October 7, National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Hong Dien said inclusiveness, trust and opportunities for all are fundamental to effective governance.

He linked these principles to Vietnam’s own development experience, saying that putting people at the centre of policy-making and action has contributed to the country’s socio-economic achievements over four decades of Doi Moi (Renewa)l.

Vietnam is pursuing major institutional reforms to create a stronger foundation for development, with science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation and the circular economy identified as key drivers. The National Assembly is also stepping up lawmaking, supreme oversight and decisions on major national issues.

Against this backdrop, National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Hong Dien outlined three priorities for inter-parliamentary cooperation in the period ahead.

The first is to promote greater public participation in governance. The second is to strengthen oversight, transparency and accountability in order to narrow the gap between commitments and results. The third is to ensure that science and technology serve people and contribute to narrowing development gaps.

Affirming Vietnam’s role as an active and responsible member of the IPU, he called for differences to become a basis for dialogue, dialogue to build and strengthen trust, and trust to turn challenges into opportunities for cooperation and shared development.

Bilateral ties put parliamentary priorities into practice

On the sidelines of IPU-153, National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Hong Dien held talks with Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania Mussa Azzan Zungu, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Polish Senator Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka, Vice-President of the IPU, and Canadian MP Robert Oliphant.

At his meeting with Speaker Zungu, Dien congratulated Tanzania on the successful organisation of IPU-153 and praised the host country’s efforts to strengthen the role of parliaments and inter-parliamentary cooperation in promoting peace, fairness, justice and development.

He conveyed greetings and an invitation to visit Vietnam from National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man, reaffirmed Vietnam’s regard for its traditional friendship with Tanzania, and expressed appreciation for Tanzania’s support during Vietnam’s struggle for national independence.

The Vietnamese official proposed stronger high-level exchanges through Party, parliamentary, government and people-to-people channels, as well as greater exchanges between parliamentary committees and legislators on lawmaking experience. The two sides could also study the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between their parliaments.

He called for efforts to negotiate and sign key bilateral agreements, including an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and an agreement on the promotion and protection of investment.

Economic ties have made positive progress but remain below their potential, Dien said, expecting Tanzania to support Vietnamese businesses, including Viettel’s telecom joint venture Halotel, in participating in telecommunications, infrastructure, digital transformation and e-government projects.

He also underlined the importance of a stable and open legal environment for expanding trade and investment in areas such as mining, energy, high-tech agriculture and infrastructure.

For his part, Zungu praised Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements after 40 years of Doi Moi, describing them as a model for Tanzania to draw on as it implements the Tanzania Development Vision 2050.

The Tanzanian Speaker also expressed support for stronger legislative cooperation in improving the legal framework and overseeing the implementation of bilateral agreements, while welcoming further Vietnamese investment in agriculture, tourism, mining, technology and infrastructure.

Parliamentary diplomacy broadens bilateral engagement

In his meeting with Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and parliamentary cooperation. Gafarova welcomed the elevation of Vietnam–Azerbaijan ties to a strategic partnership during Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Azerbaijan in May 2025 and expressed her hope for Vietnam’s support for Azerbaijan’s candidacy as IPU President for the 2026–2029 term.

Dien welcomed the candidacy and spoke highly of her leadership capacity, while inviting her and other leaders of the Azerbaijani parliament to visit Vietnam.

During talks with Polish Senator Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka, the two sides agreed to promote high-level exchanges, implement the strategic partnership framework and expand economic and trade cooperation.

Morawska-Stanecka described Vietnam as Poland’s largest economic and trade partner in Southeast Asia, highlighting the role of the Vietnamese community in Poland and expressing interest in expanding Poland’s engagement with the wider region through Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Dien proposed closer coordination in preparing high-level visits and more exchanges between legislators, particularly women and young parliamentarians. He also called for stronger trade, investment and economic cooperation through implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and early ratification of the agreement on the promotion and protection of investment.

He asked Poland to encourage other EU member states to support the removal of the yellow card imposed on Vietnamese seafood and avoid excessive use of trade defence measures.

In his meeting with Canadian MP Robert Oliphant, both sides welcomed positive developments in Vietnam–Canada relations, including the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

Oliphant described Vietnam as an important partner in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and a market with significant potential for trade cooperation. He expressed readiness to promote cooperation in areas where Canada has strengths, including energy, the environment, agriculture, technology, metallurgy and minerals.

Dien noted the complementary nature of the two economies and their potential for greater trade and investment. He proposed stronger parliamentary oversight of bilateral agreements and commitments, as well as efforts to upgrade the trade framework and advance an investment protection agreement.

The two sides agreed to increase exchanges among senior leaders, parliamentary committees, friendship groups, young and women parliamentarians, and local representatives, while continuing to support the Vietnamese community in Canada as a bridge between the two countries.

Vietnam promotes parliamentary diplomacy at IPU-153

VOV.VN - National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Hong Dien, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on October 5 led a high-level delegation of the National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam to attend the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153) in Arusha, Tanzania, and held bilateral meetings with leaders of governments and parliaments from various nations.