In her opening speech, the top Vietnamese legislator who is also the Chair of the APPF-26 said Vietnam’s second hosting of the event demonstrates its role and responsibility and called for broader cooperation between legislative bodies.

“At this forum, in addition to security, cooperation in response to climate change, and trade, we aim to build a new vision after 25 years of development. We will closely follow our theme of “Parliamentary partnership for peace, innovation and sustainable development” and our new vision needs to be based on tightened parliamentary partnerships and promote peace and sustainable development.”

The NA leader said the APPF-26 transpires amid rapid and complex global changes that challenge sustainable development and living quality of each regional nation.

The context gives new tasks, making the building of the APPF’s new vision for the upcoming period after 25 years of development. The vision must be based on effective parliamentary partnerships, which demand stronger commitments to improving cooperative mechanisms within the APPF.

Since its participation in the APPF in 1995, Vietnam has been always a proactive member and viewed the forum as an important channel to build trust and promote dialogues on political, security and cooperation matters in the Asia-Pacific region, she said.

In his welcoming remarks, President Tran Dai Quang hailed the role of APPF and APEC in promoting economic freedom and regional connectivity, and creating opportunities for people in the region. He urged the forum to further enhance regional links.

“The forum needs to take the top spot in augmenting multilateral cooperation and prioritizing peace, stability, and peaceful settlement of disputes. Peace and sustainable development always go together. 

It’s important to make all-out efforts to ensure inclusive development so that no one is left behind, focus on ensuring food security, water resources, and energy, and supporting medium, small, and micro enterprises to further penetrate into the global market. The forum needs to contribute to outlining a new vision for the Asia Pacific region," Quang said.

The APPF should place top priority on maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world, boosting dialogues and trust building, and settling conflicts via peaceful means on the basis of respect for international laws, he noted.

The President called on the forum to further reinforce multilateral partnership and build a common future for the Asia-Pacific by forming a responsible parliamentary cooperation for peace and sustainable development.

The same day, NA Chairwoman Ngan hosted a banquet in honor of APPF-26 members.

During the four-day forum, parliamentarians will discuss politics and security, economics and trade, cooperation across the Asia Pacific region, and APPF-related issues. 

They are expected to adopt the Hanoi Declaration which will outline a new development period of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Partnership. 

The APPF-26 will enter the second day of work on January 19 with two plenary sessions on politics-security and economics-trade.

Nguồn: vov.vn