The agreement was reached at talks between National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Bangladeshi counterpart Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on July 20 in Hanoi.

They underlined the need to increase exchanges to share experience in law building, establish Friendship Parliamentarian Groups, and support each other at regional and international Inter-Parliamentary forums. 

Ngan said the Vietnamese National Assembly supports the two governments in boosting stronger cooperation in national defense and security to maintain peace and stability in the region and the world. 

Vietnam wants Bangladesh to pay more attention to the East Sea issue, voice its stance on the issue to maintain peace, stability, safety, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, and support the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, she said

The Vietnamese chief legislator was delighted at the rapid pace of economic and trade ties between the two countries with bilateral trade revenue increasing by 2.5 times during the 2010-2014 period. The figure expanded by 3.1% in 2016 as compared with 2015 to hit US$ 608 million.

Ngan asked Bangladesh to support Vietnam’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and the UNESCO Director General in the 2017-2022 term.

The Bangladeshi Speaker in turn said both nations should augment their cooperation and experience exchange, and support each other in these realms. 

The two top law-makers agreed that to elevate the bilateral trade to US$1 billion as set by Vietnamese and Bangladeshi leaders, the two countries should forge collaboration in trade and investment and offer favourable conditions for their businesses to participate in fairs, exhibitions and seminars organised in the respective countries. 

Shirin Sharmin took the occasion to call on Vietnam to pay greater attention to investing in Bangladesh which has a population of about 160 million and other optimal conditions.

On cooperation between the two parliaments, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan showed her delight at fruitful outcomes of the two sides in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.

She thanked her Bangladeshi counterpart for dispatching a delegation to the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that Vietnam hosted in 2015, as well as Bangladesh’s warm welcome for the Vietnamese delegation during the 136th Assembly of the IPU earlier this year.

The two NA leaders agreed to continue high-level delegation exchanges and meetings between the two NAs to share experience in law-building and supervise the implementation of agreements between the two countries, as contributions to strengthening friendship and all-round cooperation.

The two sides will consider the formation of two friendship parliamentarian groups to serve as a bridge connecting legislators of both sides and encouraging the development of partnership in economy and people-to-people contacts.

They will continue supporting each other at the international and regional inter-parliamentarian unions in issues of shared concern, while assigning the Committees for External Affairs and relevant agencies to work hand in hand towards the signing of a specific cooperation mechanism aiming to make collaboration between the two parliaments more effective and practical.

Host and guest also compared notes on regional and international issues of common concern. Ngan congratulated Bangladesh on winning the position of the Chair of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for the 2017-2018 tenure.

The Bangladeshi top legislator invited the Vietnamese NA leader to visit Bangladesh soon and her invitation was accepted with pleasure.

In the evening the same day, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a banquet for the Bangladeshi top legislator and her delegation.