A Vietnamese delegation led by Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong attended a meeting of the Executive Board of the 38th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-38) in Manila, the Philippines, on September 15. 

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong (front, centre) attends the meeting of the Executive Board of the 38th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly 

As the first activity of the AIPA-38, the meeting drew representatives from AIPA member countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and 11 observing countries, along with guests from the ASEAN Secretariat and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. 

The meeting was chaired by Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives Pantaleon D.Alvarez, who is also AIPA President. 

At the meeting, the head of the delegation of Singapore, which will assume the post of AIPA President in 2018, was designated as Vice President of the AIPA-38. 

The Executive Board approved the action programme and agenda of the AIPA-38, including themes of meetings of AIPA committees, and agreed to organise the 38th AIPA General Assembly from September 16-19. 

They also discussed other major issues like the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and cooperation in tackling food security and promoting health care for female labourers. 

The Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to attend the Meeting of the Women Parliamentarians of AIPA (WAIPA), and hold bilateral meetings with several delegations.-

VNA