Green growth and poverty reduction for sustainable development are themain focus of the fifth ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Caucuswhich is underway in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of LamDong.

The two-day meeting, which commenced on May12, also considers legal harmonisation in the two fields and reviews theimplementation of resolutions adopted at the 33 rd AIPA GeneralAssembly.

More than 60 delegates are attending theevent, including parliamentarians from nine AIPA member countries andrepresentatives of the AIPA Secretariat, the ASEAN Secretariat andinternational organisations.

ASEAN Secretary GeneralLe Luong Minh stressed ASEAN’s desire to improve the living standards of600 million people in the region while maintaining the eco-system andnatural environment, which, he said, requires cooperation of allconcerned sides.

Minh expressed his hope that themeeting will help promote legal initiatives and relevant policies aswell as the exchange of experiences and best outcomes in green growthand poverty reduction.

AIPA Caucus is held inrotation among AIPA member countries with the aim to create a regularforum for its member countries, special observers as well as betweenAIPA and ASEAN.

AIPA Caucus is tasked with assistingthe Executive Committee in monitoring the implementation of AIPAResolutions in member countries while providing a platform forparliamentarians to discuss pressing issues of regional concern.

Later the same day, Vice Chairwoman of Vietnam’s National AssemblyTong Thi Phong received heads of delegations to the event.-VNA