Vietnamese, Indonesian parliaments strengthen cooperation
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met Speaker of the Indonesian People's Representative Council (Lower House) Puan Maharani in Vienna, Austria, on September 6 (local time), on the sidelines of the ongoing fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP5).
Both sides expressed their satisfaction about the development of bilateral ties over the past 65 years, especially since the upgrading of their relationship to a strategic partnership level in 2013.
They agreed to further strengthen political trust, maintain high-level exchanges, both online and offline, including facilitating the exchange of delegations via parliamentary channels, working closely together at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and realising the cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese legislature and Indonesian Lower House.
The two sides shared the view that each country’s legislature needs to raise voice at regional and global forums to facilitate countries’ fair, open and transparent access to vaccines in parallel with vaccine research and production.
Chairman Hue said despite difficulties caused by the pandemic, two-way trade still hit US$8.2 billion last year, closer to the US$10 billion mark. In the spirit of strategic partnership, he suggested both sides coordinate in dealing with issues of shared concern such as trade and Indonesia create favourable conditions for Vietnam to export farm produce and fruit, offer humane treatment to Vietnamese fishermen, and step up negotiations on demarcation of economic exclusive zones.
On regional and global issues, the Vietnamese leader underscored ASEAN’s central role in maintaining peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom. He called for soon building a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Amid challenges caused by the pandemic, Vietnam and Indonesia need to enhance cooperation, particularly within the ASEAN-AIPA framework, he said, adding that parliaments must improve their guiding roles in fighting COVID-19 and working closely together to recover the economy.
He congratulated Indonesia on taking the role as Chair of G20 Summit next year and hoped that ASEAN member states could attend the important event.
Maharani, for her part, affirmed that the Indonesian Lower House is ready to cooperate with the Vietnamese NA, and raise a voice to the Indonesian Government to increase joint work with Vietnam, towards curbing the pandemic and boosting recovery post-pandemic.
