Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man will attend the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-152) in Istanbul, Turkey, and pay an official visit to Italy, in a trip carrying special significance for both multilateral and bilateral relations.

At the invitation of IPU President Tulia Ackson and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, the Chairman, accompanied by his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will attend IPU-152, conduct bilateral activities in Turkey and officially visit Italy from April 11 to 17.

This marks his first official overseas trip since the 14th Party Congress, the election of the 16th National Assembly and the consolidation of the state apparatus for the new term.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang described the visit as highly significant on both multilateral and bilateral fronts.

Vietnam’s National Assembly has consistently taken a proactive role within the IPU framework, proposing initiatives and making substantive contributions, while working alongside member parliaments to implement resolutions aimed at maintaining peace and promoting sustainable development globally.

The National Assembly has also participated in key leadership mechanisms within the IPU, earning strong confidence from member parliaments for its leadership capacity. These factors provide a solid foundation for Vietnam to further assert its role and position at IPU-152.

The theme of the assembly - “Harnessing hope, ensuring peace and promoting justice for future generations” - reflects core concerns of the international community and serves as a fundamental basis for addressing shared challenges and shaping a sustainable future.

Chairman Tran Thanh Man is expected to deliver a keynote speech outlining Vietnam’s perspectives on global and regional issues, while proposing concrete measures to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity.

On the sidelines, he will hold meetings and exchanges with parliamentary leaders, IPU officials and representatives of international organizations. These engagements will help highlight Vietnam’s development achievements, vision and aspirations in a new era, while conveying its foreign policy orientation to the international community.

Strengthening ties with key partners

Deputy Minister Dang Hoang Giang emphasized that the trip is expected to generate new momentum in Vietnam’s relations with important partners.

For Turkey, this is the first visit by a Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman in eight years, providing an opportunity to enhance political trust and deepen parliamentary cooperation, thereby promoting substantive bilateral relations.

For Italy, the visit aims to implement the joint declaration between the two countries’ senior leaders on strengthening their strategic partnership, as well as the agreed action plan for cooperation. It is expected to bring bilateral relations into greater depth, effectiveness and substance across all fields.

During the visit, Chairman Tran Thanh Man is also scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Italy and Turkey are both longstanding and important partners of Vietnam in Europe and the Middle East. In recent years, traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the two countries have continued to grow steadily and effectively.

Both countries are key economic and trade partners of Vietnam, with significant untapped potential for further cooperation.

Vietnam aims to elevate its partnership with Italy through enhanced collaboration in key areas such as the economy and science and technology. With Turkey, the focus will be on strengthening cooperation in legislation, security, trade and Halal agriculture.

The visit is expected to deliver positive outcomes, contributing to the consolidation and expansion of cooperation between Vietnam and its partners, while opening new opportunities and mobilizing resources to support the country’s development ambitions in the years ahead.

Tran Thuong