Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong on September 15 had bilateral meetings with Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou, Thai President of the National Legislative Assembly Pornpetch Wichitcholchai and Cambodian NA Chairman Samdech Heng Samrin.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong meets with Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou on the sidelines of the 38th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of the 38th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 38) in Manila, the Philippines.

The Vietnamese official briefed Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou on Vietnam’s preparations for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week late this year and the 26th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) from January 18-21 in 2018.

She expressed her delights at sound relations between the two countries in the past years, particularly activities celebrating 55th anniversary of the diplomatic ties, including celebrations made by women parliamentarian groups as well as exchanges of youth unions.

She hoped for further relations between the two legislative organisations through exchanging delegation and organising forums of shared concern like on public debts and land management.

Pany Yathotou wanted to increase cooperation between the two national assemblies. She asked the Vietnamese NA to share experiences in NA and people’s council activities at all levels, vote of confidence conducting as well as the encouragement of activities from the small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Meeting with Thai President of the National Legislative Assembly Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, Phong spoke highly of friendship and cooperation between the two legislative bodies and peoples. 

She congratulated Thailand on its stability and development while stressing the significance of the adoption of the new constitution, a legal basis for national construction.

The Vietnamese NA wants to enhance exchanges of parliamentarians, especially the friendship parliamentarian group, she said, adding that Vietnam will send delegations to Thailand to learn experience in culture, healthcare and social security.

For his part, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai highly valued results of recent Vietnam visits by Thai leaders. 

During her meeting with Cambodian NA Chairman Samdech Heng Samrin, Phong said that the two sides need to promote cooperation and exchanges between youth and women unions and friendship parliamentarian groups as the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Heng Samrin expressed his pleasure with the two countries’ relations over the past years while congratulated Vietnam on its achievements, saying they contributed to raising the nation’s position in the region and the world.

He said he will attend the APPF-26 and Cambodia will host the next event in 2019.

From September 14-15, the Vietnamese NA delegation attended meetings of the AIPA-38 Executive Board and Women Parliamentarians of AIPA as well as visited Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines.

VNA