Jakarta (VNA) – The Vietnamese National Assembly(NA)’s thorough and professional preparation for the 41st General Assembly ofthe ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) has left good impression onand won the trust of international and regional friends, said AIPASecretary-General Nguyen Tuong Van.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of theevent, to be held virtually from September 8 to 10, Van held that amidst theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese NA took the initiative in changing the formof the event from offline to online, which she said has reflected itsflexibility, sense of responsibility and resolve to fulfill its role in AIPA Chairmanship.

This is the third time the parliament of Vietnamhas served as AIPA Chair and hosted an AIPA General Assembly, but the firsttime an event of this kind takes place in the form of a teleconference.

The theme of AIPA 41, “Parliamentary Diplomacyfor a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community”, matches the theme of Vietnam’s2020 ASEAN Chairmanship, which is “Cohesive and Responsive”, aiming to createhigh consensus among member countries and inherit the outcomes of the 36thASEAN Summit in June, especially the initiatives suggested by Vietnam andsupported by other nations, according to Secretary-General Van.

She went on to say that upholding itschairmanship, Vietnam has suggested the establishment of the mechanism of youngparliamentarians’ meetings to promote the youth’s role, while boosting linksbetween AIPA activities and those of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) inassociation with the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment

The country has also proposed themes formeetings of women parliamentarians and the AIPA committees on politicalmatters, economic matters and social matters and received other members’support, she added.

There are two highly important principles in theASEAN Charter and AIPA regulations, “consensus” and “non-intervention in oneanother’s internal affairs”, which have helped maintain the bloc’s solidarityand unity. However, Van added, ASEAN and AIPA members haven’t been alwaysshared common voices on certain regional issues in recent years.

During Vietnam’s AIPA Chairmanship, politics –security remains one of the key areas, aside from sensitive issues among ASEANcountries as well as between the bloc and partners. Therefore, it requires thehost country’s sharpness, particularly in terms of negotiation skills, so as toseek similarities among partners who sometimes have very different interestsand concerns, she noted.

As host of AIPA 41, the Vietnamese NA hascoordinated with the Foreign Ministry to negotiate with other member parliamentsto deal with some issues in the Political Affairs Committee’s agenda, Van said.

She emphasised that Vietnam concurrently servingas ASEAN Chair, AIPA 41 Chair and non-permanent member of the UN SecurityCouncil in 2020 holds great significance, creating conditions for the countryto continue affirming its growing position and role in the region and theworld.

The COVID-19 and the new and complexdevelopments in the region will pose challenges and pressure, requiring highsense of responsibility from host Vietnam. Therefore, the Secretary-Generalsaid, Vietnam’s flexibility, proactiveness and sense of responsibility duringthe preparation for AIPA 41 as seen recently have been highly valued by othercountries.

According to her, the practical and effectivecontributions by the Vietnamese NA during the AIPA Chairmanship Year in thisspecial context are critical to the reinforcement of the country’s friendshipand multifaceted cooperation with other ASEAN members, which in turn willprovide the foundation for it to push ahead with and assert its stature duringinternational integration./.