Global Young Parliamentarians Conference: A bridge for Vietnam to promote its image

The 9th Global Young Parliamentarians’ Conference was hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly with hundreds of young parliamentarians from member parliaments of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) attending, some visiting Vietnam for the first time, and some returning to Vietnam after many years. They all shared a common feeling about a close country, friendly people and were impressed with Vietnam’s development, as well as the organization of the conference.

Delegates discuss at the discussion session of Topic 3 "Promoting respect for cultural diversity for sustainable development", on the morning of September 16, 2023. Photo: VNA

Ms. Ana Catauta (member of the Romanian Parliament) said: "This is my first time in Vietnam and my experience is wonderful, the organization of the conference is very good, we were warmly welcomed. I am very excited to participate in the conference discussing very important topics, such as enhancing digital capacity for young people, the connection with cultural heritage issues... It is great that I can hear from many areas of society, both from state and private organizations on how digitalization becomes a tool to support the young generation and prepare for the future of the young generation" - Ms. Ana Catauta shared. Having never been to Vietnam before, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong, Senator of Nigeria, felt the closeness and openness here. He learned that this is a country rich in cultural identity with a history of 4,000 years. He shared that his country Nigeria is also a multicultural, multi-ethnic country, with many similarities to Vietnam. "When I came here, I was really impressed. Your country is more developed and beautiful than I imagined. Although this is my first time coming to Vietnam, I have felt your strength, modernity and dynamic development," said Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong. He said that the conference's theme was very practical and inspiring for the Nigerian delegation, with many effective digital transformation models in other countries that could be brought back to apply in Nigeria. Coming to Vietnam for the first time, delegate Majd Abu Zidan from the Middle Eastern country of Syria shared: "Vietnam makes me feel as close as home. There are many differences, but the affection, openness and hospitality of the Vietnamese and Syrian people are the same," said Ms. Majd Abu Zidan. Mr. Gilang Dhielafaraez SH (Indonesian MP) said that when he came here, he saw that Vietnam had prepared very carefully for this conference. This MP believes that countries in the region such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore... are also focusing on this field and can coordinate to achieve higher efficiency in promoting innovation. "We are in the era of the 4.0 industrial revolution. I hope that Vietnam can play a big role in innovation, thereby contributing to helping ASEAN become a strong community," he said. Returning to Vietnam after 10 years, Mr. Mohd Shahar Bin Abdullah (Head of the Malaysian Parliamentary Delegation) expressed his impression of Vietnam's development. Mr. Mohd Shahar Bin Abdullah said: "I visited Vietnam 10 years ago, now I come back to see the great development here. I believe that in 10 years, Vietnam will develop even stronger and more extraordinary, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City." Representing the young parliamentarians from Malaysia, Mr. Mohd Shahar Bin Abdullah said that young parliamentarians play a very important role because the future of the country depends on the young generation. They are the ones who will contribute to creating a foundation to support and encourage the creativity of young people. "Coming to Vietnam this time, I hope to listen to the opinions and ideas of other countries, as well as strengthen connections with colleagues in Vietnam as well as other countries," he said.

Panorama of the exhibition of innovation achievements and OCOP products. Illustrative photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Hosting international events such as the Global Young Parliamentarians’ Conference helps Vietnam enhance its position and prestige in the international arena. This event attracts the attention of participating countries and the international public; it is a good opportunity to promote and widely promote to international friends the historical traditions, cultural values, the image of the country and the friendly, hospitable Vietnamese people, the foreign policy, and the achievements of Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

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