NA Chairman arrives in Switzerland to attend World Conference of Speakers of Parliament
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s working trip to Switzerland reaffirms Vietnam’s policies and great efforts in promoting socio-economic development, multilateralism, and global cooperation. It highlights the country’s strong commitment to being a responsible and constructive member of the international community, while elevating the position and role of Vietnam and its legislature in the global arena.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are welcomed at Geneva international airport, Switzerland on July 27 afternoon (local time). (Photo: VNA)
Geneva (VNA)⛎ – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 27 afternoon (local time) to attend the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and engage in bilateral activities from July 27-30.
They were welcomed at the airport by Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva; Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Phung The Long; and staff of the Vietnamese embassy and mission.
The World Conference of Speakers of Parliament is a flagship initiative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in close collaboration with the UN. It serves as a vital platform for parliamentary leaders to contribute to the UN’s agendas.
The conference, held every five years, includes a plenary session, panel discussions, roundtables and presentations of keynote papers.
The 6th edition, themed "A world in turmoil: Parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice, and prosperity for all" continues the spirit of the 150th IPU Assembly (IPU-150) and looks toward the upcoming World Summit for Social Development, slated for November 2025.
Since becoming an IPU member in 1979, the Vietnamese NA has consistently participated and made positive contributions to the organisation. In April 2025, Chairman Man led the Vietnamese delegation to the IPU-150 in Uzbekistan. Vietnam regularly attends the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at the level of NA Chairman or Vice Chairman.
Chairman Man is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the plenary session of the conference, demonstrating Vietnam’s strong commitment to addressing global issues.
The visit also underlines the growing and fruitful relations between Vietnam and Switzerland, which have flourished across various sectors since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 50 years ago. In 2024, their bilateral trade reached 811 million USD, making Switzerland one of Vietnam’s key economic partners in Europe.
Parliamentary ties between the two countries have also advanced positively. A recent milestone was the official visit to Vietnam by President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas in June 2023. The two sides maintain regular exchanges and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the IPU and the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF).
Chairman Man’s working trip to Switzerland reaffirms Vietnam’s policies and great efforts in promoting socio-economic development, multilateralism, and global cooperation. It highlights the country’s strong commitment to being a responsible and constructive member of the international community, while elevating the position and role of Vietnam and its legislature in the global arena./.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s participation in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, along with his bilateral activities in Switzerland, underscore Vietnam’s steady policy of advancing the Vietnam - Switzerland comprehensive partnership.
The trip by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man aims to strengthen and further develop the friendly and mutually beneficiary relations between Vietnam and Senegal, Morocco, and Switzerland, deepen cooperation between Vietnam and the African and European regions, and diversify Vietnam’s economic and trade partnerships.
“Every corner of the homeland is part of our shared nation, and wherever we live, the hearts of Vietnamese people always turn towards the motherland with love and responsibilit," said Ngoc Dung Moser, Secretary General of the Vietnamese Association in Switzerland.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
