Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s officialvisit to Cambodia, attendance in the 43rd ASEAN Inter-ParliamentaryAssembly (AIPA) General Assembly, and official trip to the Philippines fromNovember 19 to 25 have contributed importantly to fostering Vietnam’scooperation with Cambodia and the Philippines, and ASEAN inter-parliamentarycollaboration.

The statement was made by Bui Van Cuong, NA General Secretaryand Chairman of the NA Office.

Cuong affirmed that the top legislator’s seven-day trip wasa success, with nearly 50 activities.

In Cambodia and the Philippines, Chairman Hue held talkswith the top leaders of the two countries’ legislative bodies; made courtesycalls on King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk ofCambodia; met Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Deputy PMand Chairwoman of the Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Association Men Sam An; andmet Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos and Vice PresidentSara Duterte. He visited Kampong Thom province of Cambodia and received leadersof some localities of Cambodia and the Philippines.

The NA leader also met executives of some Philippineenterprises doing business in Vietnam and attended a bilateral investment andtrade forum. Besides, he visited the Vietnamese embassies in Cambodia and thePhilippines and talked to representatives of the Vietnamese community inCambodia.

The visit to Cambodia was the first by Hueas the NA Chairman and also among the activities in the Vietnam - Cambodia FriendshipYear 2022 and in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the two countries’diplomatic ties.

Parliamentary leaders of Vietnam and Cambodia discussed manycooperation aspects, signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperationbetween the two parliaments, and witnessed the signing of a cooperationagreement between the secretariats of their NAs.

In Cambodia, Chairman Hue took part in AIPA-43 and deliveredan important speech. On the sidelines of this event, he had bilateral meetingswith parliamentary leaders of some AIPA members and observers. 

The Vietnamese delegation’s participation in AIPA-43 aimedto continue implementing the policy of proactively, actively, comprehensively,and intensively integrating into the world and elevating multilateraldiplomacy; and join hands with other AIPA member parliaments to strengthenASEAN’s solidarity and centrality while enhancing AIPA’s relations withpartners, thereby contributing to the ASEAN Community building and promotingregional peace, cooperation, and development.

Meanwhile, the official visit to the Philippines fromNovember 23 to 25 was the first to the archipelago nation by a key leader ofVietnam in 2022 and by an NA leader of Vietnam after 16 years. It was also oneof the first trip by a foreign parliamentary leader to the Philippines afterthis country successfully held the general elections in May 2022 and electednew leaders of its House of Representatives and Senate in July.

Aside from working to intensify cooperation between the two legislatures, Hue and senior leaders of the Philippines alsodiscussed measures for augmenting multifaceted ties to help bolster the Vietnam- Philippines strategic partnership.

Notably, both the House of Representatives and Senate of thePhilippines issued resolutions affirming the enhancement of relations betweenthe countries’ legislative bodies, with the host nation setting up thePhilippine-Vietnam Parliamentarians Friendship Society./.