National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân speaks at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo 

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has fulfilled its role as Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020 well despite the serious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and record floods and storms, contributing to increasing the country’s prestige in the region and the world, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân has said.

Addressing a conference on Wednesday to review Việt Nam’s AIPA Chairmanship Year, Ngân said from the beginning of this year when COVID-19 began breaking out, Việt Nam adapted its plans for the AIPA Chairmanship Year and consulted member states about holding activities online.

The 41st AIPA General Assembly was held online for the first time in the history of the AIPA.

With the leadership of Việt Nam, the AIPA-41 was a success and reflected through the full participation and support of member parliaments, observers and international parliamentary organisations, she said.

Notably, at the AIPA-41, the AIPA Committee on Political Matters was able to convene a meeting, after none was held in the three previous General Assemblies, an important result, Ngân said.

She added that during this General Assembly, Việt Nam initiated the organisation of the AIPA Young Parliamentarians’ Meeting and a conference on 'Parliamentary Partnership on Educational and Cultural Cooperation for Sustainable Development', which were supported by all member parliaments.

The AIPA Chairmanship Year 2020 and the AIPA-41 have helped the organisation define a strategic vision for the next 5-10 years, affirming the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the region and the world and contributing to developing the ASEAN Community, Ngân said.

She stressed that over the past 25 years, the Vietnamese National Assembly has made important contributions to the AIPA, and the success of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year, as well as the AIPA-41, is another Vietnamese contribution to AIPA’s development.

The top legislator also lauded the support of international friends for Việt Nam.

The organisation of events, especially the AIPA-41, via videoconference was unprecedented in AIPA’s 43-year history, but Việt Nam received close collaboration and strong backing from member parliaments as well as observers and the AIPA Secretariat and General Secretary.

She took the occasion to thank collectives and individuals for making the AIPA Chairmanship Year and AIPA-41 a success. — VNS