National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has said he hopes that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will continue its support of the Vietnamese legislative body in the future.

He also spoke highly of the IPU’s contributions to peace, friendship and global development.

The IPU has carried out practical activities to strengthen relations between parliaments from all over the world, he said.

Secretary General Johnson said he appreciated the cooperation between IPU and Vietnam’s legislative body as well as the latter’s important role in IPU activities.

Being one of the 15 members of the IPU, Executive Committee offers Vietnam a good chance to further contribute to the union, he said.

In the context of the current economic crisis, parliaments play an important role in adopting new policies, said the Secretary General.

As such, IPU plans to host a meeting for its member parliaments to exchange experiences on the issue and propose recommendations to their respective governments, he said.

He also said that every country’s legislative body should play a role in the fight against HIV/AIDS and help increase the transparency and effectiveness of ODA projects around the world.

In related news, Trong is expected to lead a group of NA deputies to attend the 17th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in the Lao Capital of Vientiane today.

The meeting, which ends Thursday, will discuss security, economics and politics, and cooperation in the region.

Source: VNA