Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had a working session with Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Martin Chungong on the sidelines of the 138th IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 25.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) meets with IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong in Geneva on March 25

Chungong highly valued the Vietnamese delegation’s participation in all IPU events, which has shown the country’s role as an active member of the IPU.

Ngan noted with satisfaction the outcomes of concrete cooperation in realising the parliamentary partnership between the IPU and the Vietnamese NA and the United Nations representative in Vietnam.

She thanked the IPU Secretary General for supporting the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam and the Vietnamese parliament to introduce the sustainable development self-assessment tool (SDAT) to NA deputies.

The top Vietnamese legislator also appreciated Chungong’s contributions to the IPU, especially in reforming the IPU Secretariat’s activities, supporting the implementation of IPU programmes and strategies, and enhancing the IPU’s cooperation and partnership with the UN, thereby helping to improving parliaments and parliamentarians’ voice.

Chungong expressed his delight at Vietnam’s development, including its efforts to realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

He thanked Vietnam for successfully organising the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) last January, adding that it has demonstrated itself as an active and responsible member of the IPU.

The IPU Secretary General hoped the SDAT will soon be introduced to ministries, sectors and localities of Vietnam.

At the meeting, Chungong also talked about the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which is within the framework of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will take effect after it is ratified by 40 countries. He expressed his hope that Vietnam will ratify this protocol soon.

For her part, Ngan affirmed Vietnam’s determination to prevent the harms and illegal trading of tobacco, which is reflected in the promulgation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms. The country is ready to ratify the protocol, she added.

The working session with the IPU Secretary General was the last activity of the Vietnamese delegation while staying in Geneva to attend the IPU-138 before leaving for an official visit to the Netherlands.-VNA