Important message of the National Assembly Chairman at the First Plenary Session of AIPA-45

The National Assembly Chairman emphasized: "This is the time for us to make strong changes for a resilient, dynamic, cohesive ASEAN that is the center of growth."

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the first plenary session of AIPA-45. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

According to a special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency, on the afternoon of October 19, at the National Convention Center in Vientiane (Laos), the 45th AIPA General Assembly held its first plenary session with the theme "The role of Parliament in enhancing ASEAN's connectivity and comprehensive growth" under the chair of Lao National Assembly Chairman and AIPA 2024 Chair Saysomphone Phomvihane.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man led a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly to attend the Session and delivered a speech on the Conference's theme with many important messages.

Parliaments/Assemblies of the countries highly appreciated the significance of the theme of AIPA-45, which is closely linked to the region's common efforts in promoting connectivity and self-reliance.

In particular, in the volatile and unpredictable regional and global environment, conflicts are breaking out in many places, strategic competition is increasing, trust is declining, the international order based on rules is being eroded, and many challenges are emerging, posing many consequences for peace, security, stability and development in the region.

In the above context, delegates from all countries emphasized the need to strengthen solidarity, unity, and the central role of ASEAN, promote multilateralism, and improve the effectiveness of ASEAN-led mechanisms to engage partners in regional cooperation in a spirit of responsibility and friendship, and respond to challenges together with ASEAN, and consolidate an open, transparent, and inclusive regional structure with ASEAN at the center.

Sharing the importance of connectivity, parliaments/parliaments of the countries affirmed the need to promote connectivity comprehensively and sustainably in all aspects of infrastructure, institutions, digitalization, and people.

In these joint efforts, parliamentary cooperation plays an important role, putting ASEAN’s commitments into concrete implementation, promoting institutional and policy harmonization, firmly consolidating the legal foundation, supporting the process of regional connectivity and integration. Thereby, creating favorable conditions for cooperation in trade, investment, transport, energy, and people-to-people exchanges, contributing to promoting inclusive and equitable growth, leaving no one behind.

The first plenary session of the 45th AIPA General Assembly. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

Affirming that AIPA is the body representing the voice and interests of the people, the parliaments/leaders agreed to promote AIPA's role as a connecting bridge, helping people participate more effectively in decision-making processes, ensuring that ASEAN's cooperation strategies and programs bring practical benefits to all people.

Delegates also agreed to strengthen cohesion and coordination between ASEAN and AIPA in realizing common goals, building a more connected, resilient, people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN Community.

Faced with the rise of new development trends, AIPA member parliaments shared the need to optimize new growth drivers such as digital transformation and innovation, green transformation, energy transformation, while focusing on effective governance efforts such as safe, trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, etc., contributing to preparing ASEAN to be ready and step firmly into the future.

Speaking at the session, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that in nearly 60 years of formation and development, ASEAN has achieved many miracles in turning Southeast Asia into a peaceful, prosperous and stable region, a bright spot in global growth and integration; and a positive factor shaping the regional structure, helping to strengthen connectivity and link interests between countries, especially in promoting institutional and policy connectivity.

The National Assembly Chairman affirmed that parliamentary cooperation will be the driving force to promote the implementation of building an ASEAN Community based on law, reflecting the voice and aspirations of the people, putting the people at the center of all development policies, creating comprehensive and profound changes for the community and each member country.

Affirming that ASEAN is currently entering an important moment in the process of building the Community, with the basic completion of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to transition to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the National Assembly Chairman emphasized: "This is the time for us to make strong changes for an ASEAN of stature, self-reliance, dynamism, cohesion and the center of growth."

Expressing confidence in the joint efforts of ASEAN countries, together consolidating the ASEAN wall to become more and more solid to overcome all difficulties and challenges of the times, the National Assembly Chairman promoted the spirit of solidarity and unity, raised the sense of responsibility to contribute to the common effort, effectively respond to challenges, and make comprehensive contributions to the process of building the Community.

With the desire to further promote the role of parliaments in enhancing connectivity, the National Assembly Chairman proposed five priority orientations in the coming time.

The first, AIPA needs to make more efforts with ASEAN to strengthen solidarity, cooperation, unity in diversity, uphold ASEAN's spirit of independence, self-reliance, and strategic autonomy; and promote compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Monday, It is necessary to review and evaluate the implementation of the 2025 Master Plans, deploy cooperation strategies until 2045, promote harmonious, sustainable, comprehensive, inclusive development, leaving no one behind, focus on and give appropriate priority to sub-regional cooperation, and narrow the development gap.

Tuesday, AIPA needs to further promote its role in strengthening the complementarity of parliamentary diplomacy in the overall state diplomacy between ASEAN member states as well as with ASEAN's partners, and more effectively support and assist governments with highly feasible solutions to successfully implement the goals set by ASEAN.

Wednesday, Promote cooperation between countries in the field of natural disaster prevention and climate change response; ensure harmony between development and environmental protection, ensure food security and water security.

Thursday, encourage the enhancement of digital transformation, green transformation, energy transformation; promote innovation, start-ups, create new and sustainable growth drivers for ASEAN in the coming time, along with renewing traditional growth drivers; enhance harmonious, sustainable, comprehensive development, taking people as the center, subject, driving force, resource and goal of development./.

Source