NA Chairwoman addresses IPU-140 plenary session
The National Assembly of Vietnam is always a responsible member of the IPU and ready to work with IPU and other member parliaments to implement the IPU resolutions and initiatives, contributing to building peace and sustainable development for the sake of people around the globe, Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said.
She made the statement while addressing the plenary session of the 140th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-140) on April 7. The event opened in Doha, Qatar, on April 6, taking in the theme “Parliaments as platforms to enhance education for peace, security and the rule of law”.
 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan addresses the IPU-140 plenary session in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese top legislator and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnam National Assembly attend the opening session of IPU-140. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has a meeting with Secretary General of IPU Martin Chungong. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She also has a meeting with IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She meets with Chairman of Consultative Assembly of Qatar Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  On the sidelines of IPU-140, Chairwoman Ngan has a meeting with Prime Minister of Qatar Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese top legislator has a meeting with Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin on the sidelines of IPU-140. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She also has a reception for Chinese Vice-Chairwoman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Shen Yueyue in Doha. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has a meeting with Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin in Doha. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She meets with Speaker of the Parliament of Iran Ali Larijani in Doha. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She has a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Karu Jayasuriya on the sidelines of IPU-140. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA |
She also said Vietnam always gives priority to sustainable development, highlights education as its prime national policy to help raise intellectual standard, and generate high-quality human resources to meet requirements of Industry 4.0.
According to a World Bank report in 2018, the East Asia and Pacific region has seven of the top ten performing education systems in the world, with schools in Vietnam showing significant progress. The country has reported impressive development in its education system with its comprehensive reform; suitable and effective policies, and investment related to education.
The National Assembly of Vietnam has adopted and revised many legal documents, including the Constitution, the Law on Higher Education, and the Law on Vocational Education, and increased its oversight to raise the education quality in Vietnam, the top legislator said.
She suggested the international community continue to strengthen the peaceful and stable environment for sustainable development and focus on providing comprehensive education for everyone with the aim of preventing the seeds of conflicts and promoting international legal framework for education cooperation, boosting vocational training to improve the quality of labor for economic development.
She said the countries should work to ensure access to education by all people, along with promoting the role of parliaments and parliamentarians, providing a complete legal framework, building a state ruled by law, and supervising the execution and approval of budgets for education reform programs.
Vietnam-EU parliamentary ties boosted
During her working trip to the EP, made at the invitation of EP President Antonio Tajani, the Vietnamese top legislator discussed parliamentary collaboration between Vietnam and the EP and EU member countries, as well as the ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU. Bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern were also tabled.
Vietnam and the EU established official diplomatic relations on November 28, 1990. In 1996, the European Commission (EC) set up its representative mission in Hanoi.
 NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has a meeting with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels during her working visit to the European Parliament. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese top legislator holds talks with President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani in Brussels. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The talks between NA Chairwoman Ngan and President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She has a meeting with President of the Belgian Senate Jacques Brotchi. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She also meets with President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Siegfried Bracke. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Chairwoman Ngan receives Chairman of the INTA committee (International Trade) of EP Bernd Lange. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She visits Wallonia, Belgium, and has a meeting with Minister-President of Wallonia Willy Borsus. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA |
The two sides have maintained several cooperation mechanisms, including the annual political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level; Vietnam-EU Joint Committee; and Vietnam-EU human rights dialogue.
Vietnam and the EU have coordinated closely at multilateral forums and international organizations, especially within the framework of the ASEAN-EU cooperation mechanism, the ASEM and the UN, and in addressing global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, energy security, counter-terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and illegal migration.
In 2017, EU was the third biggest trade partner of Vietnam after China and the US, and was the second biggest importer of products from the Southeast Asian nation.
Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, Austria and Belgium are Vietnam’s largest export markets in the EU, with annual turnover exceeding 1 billion US dollars each. Vietnam’s main exports to the markets are textiles and garment, footwear, coffee, seafood, computers, and phone components. The two sides have completed their negotiations of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
The relations between the Vietnamese NA and the EP have been growing robustly to become an important pillar in the Vietnam-EU ties. Regular delegation exchanges, dialogues, and meetings between parliamentarians at multilateral parliamentary forums have contributed significantly to the sides’ engagement. The two parliaments also established their bilateral friendship parliamentarians’ groups.
Vietnam-France strategic partnership accelerated
NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s visit to France, made at the invitation of President of the National Assembly of France Richard Ferrand aimed to accelerate the Vietnam-France strategic partnership and materialize the joint statement on parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam and France set up diplomatic relations in April, 1973. The sound political relations between the two countries have been marked by high-level visits, including French President Francois Hollande’s visit in 2016, and the 2018 visit of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
 NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has a meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She meets with President of the Senate of France Gerard Larcher. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She has a reception for Mayor of Toulouse Jean-Luc Moudenc. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She chairs the closing session of the 11th conference on cooperation between localities of Vietnam and France in Toulouse. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Chairwoman Ngan receives National Secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) Fabien Roussel. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She has a meeting with delegates of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She attends the opening ceremony of an exhibition of the life of President Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionary activities in France, has a meeting with the overseas Vietnamese community in France and presents the Independent Order, 1st class (second time) to the Vietnamese Association in France. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese top legislator and her entourage lay flowers at the Ho Chi Minh monument, plant a sapling and visit the Ho Chi Minh Space in Montreau park in Montreuil city. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She has a meeting with the organization board and representatives of Vietnam Global Leaders Forum. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese leader witnesses the handover of A350-900 aircraft to Vietnam Airlines and A321neo aircraft to Vietjet Air and visits the aircraft manufacturing factory of Airbus in Toulouse. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA |
The two sides have maintained many cooperation mechanisms, including defense-security strategic dialogue and an annual high-level economic dialogue.
Parliamentary partnership has been growing with regular delegation exchanges and collaboration at multilateral parliamentary forums, especially the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The NA of Vietnam has signed agreements with the Senate and National Assembly of France. The two parliaments have set up bilateral friendship parliamentarian groups.
France is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe after Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. The country made a two-way trade value of 5.1 billion US dollars with Vietnam in 2018, ranking third among European countries. It is the 16th biggest investor of Vietnam with total investment of 2.8 billion US dollars, and the leading European ODA provider with total committed capital of 3 billion EUR.
Multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco fostered
Chairwoman Ngan’s official trip to Morocco aimed to enhance the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the countries, particularly in trade-investment, tourism, banking, energy, locality-to-locality cooperation, and trilateral cooperation among Vietnam, Morocco and another African nation, and foster parliamentary ties to implement the signed agreements.
 Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has a meeting with Prime Minister of Morocco Saadeddine Othmani. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  During her official visit to Morocco, the Vietnamese top legislator holds talks with Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives Habib El Malki in Rabat. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese NA Chairwoman and her entourage lay flowers and pay tribute to late King of Morocco Mohammed V. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  She visits Marrakech-Safi region and has a meeting with the region’s Mayor Karim Kassi Lahlou. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA |
Vietnam and Morocco set up diplomatic ties on March 27, 1961. Despite geographical distance, their leaders and people have unceasingly made efforts to nurture relations between the two countries.
Their prime ministers and parliamentary leaders paid visits to each other’s countries while mutual visits at the ministerial level have been held regularly. The two sides have also coordinated and supported each other at international forums.
In December 2014, Morocco recognized that Vietnam has a full market economy. Bilateral trade reached 212.7 million US dollars in 2018.
Story: VNP - Photos: VNA
