Three resolutions sponsored by Vietnam have been passed at the 37th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 37), which took place in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw from September 30 to October 2. 

Officials of several regions in Italy have expressed their wish to establish direct cooperative ties with Vietnamese localities during their recent meetings with Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien.

 Peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the Southeast Asia in particular benefit both ASEAN and the US, stated Vietnamese Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich during a recent informal meeting of US and ASEAN denfence chiefs in Hawaii.

 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her entourage arrived in Hanoi on October 1, concluding her official visits to Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

 US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter reasserted the US’s “rebalance” to the Asia-Pacific region will continue in the next US administration while chairing an informal meeting of ASEAN and US defence ministers in Hawaii on September 30. 

 The East Sea once again took the theme of an international workshop that was held at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra where experts looked into a number of issues regarding this important sea. 

 The US Pacific Command will conduct a joint exercise with the navies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help the group strengthen surveillance capabilities.

 Vietnam made active contributions to the 33rd session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, which wrapped up on September 30 in Geneva, Switzerland.

 Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has requested that serious and complex corruption cases must be investigated, prosecuted and brought to trial as soon as possible. 

 Human trafficking is a crime and a grave violation of human rights. Vietnam has been working closely with the international community to escalate the fight against human trafficking and improve human rights in general.

 Vietnam and the Philippines issued a Joint Statement on the official visit on September 28-29 of President of the Republic of Philippines Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Vietnam.

The Presidents of Vietnam and the Philippines have pledged to further strengthen political and diplomatic cooperation via regular exchange of all-level visits and boosting ties on the Party, government, State, National Assembly.

  President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong presented the insignia “For peace and friendship among nations” to outgoing Japanese Ambassador Fukada Hiroshi in Hanoi on September 29.

  Deputy Foreign State Secretary Szilveszter Bus of Hungary has affirmed Hungary has endorsed the Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement and will soon pass it to lay a foundation for furthering economic-trade cooperation between the two countries.

 Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt and Lebanon Do Hoang Long suggested Lebanon recognise Vietnam’s full market economy status during his current visit to the Middle-east country. 

 President of Iran Hassan Rouhani will pay a State visit to Vietnam from October 5-7 at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang, according to the Foreign Ministry’s statement. 

  The 14th National Assembly Standing Committee will convene its fourth meeting on October 3 to prepare for the legislature’s second session scheduled to begin on October 20.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte landed at Noi Bai International Airport on September 28, beginning an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang.

 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan arrived at Nay Pyi Taw on September 28 night, beginning her official visit to Myanmar from September 28-29 at the invitation of her Myanmar counterpart Mahn Win Khaing Than. 

  An ASEAN conference on the application of laws, policies and practices to the identification, management and treatment of victims of trafficking, especially women and children, was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 28.