Vietnam is beautiful and close: Foreign parliamentarians

International delegates attending the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians expressed their affinity for the host country, Vietnam, and hoped that the outcomes of the Conference would be effectively applied to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dan Carden, Chair of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, expressed his gratitude to the host country for being very hospitable and generous in welcoming the delegations to Hanoi.

Dan Carden, Chair of the IPU Young Parliamentarians Forum, speaks at the conference.

"The gruesome images of the war in Vietnam are deeply engraved in the minds of many people. The country's millennia-long development history has been wrapped up in a period of war, but out of the ashes, the Vietnamese people have found the driving force for national development. They are an example and a warning to all not to be swept away by the narrow mindset of geopolitical competition," said Dan Carden.

He expressed confidence that the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, a forum with diverse perspectives on the world and history, will positively impact the delegates when they return home. They will implement what they agreed in the conference declaration in their countries.

"We are facing unprecedented problems in human history, crises that threaten our existence. There can be no solution to the problem of climate change without the cooperation and solidarity of the international community. This is where we will overcome differences and find medium and long-term solutions to global problems and challenges," said Dan Carden.

Many foreign delegates express their affection for Vietnam.

Many international delegates agree that Vietnam is very close and Vietnamese people are very friendly.

Asuquo Ekpenyong, a Nigerian senator, has never been to Vietnam, but after extensive research, he has learned that Vietnam is a country rich in cultural identity with 4,000 years of history. Nigeria is also a multicultural, multi-ethnic country with many similarities to Vietnam. So, he feels a sense of closeness and openness.

"When I came here, I was impressed. Your country is more developed and beautiful than I imagined. Although this is my first time in Vietnam, I felt your strength, modernity and dynamic development," said Asuquo Ekpenyong.

The delegate from Nigeria said that in a country whose economy is developing with the emergence of many "technology unicorns" worth billions of US dollars, the theme of the conference was very practical and inspiring for the Nigerian delegation.

"I am honored to be here for the conference. I have heard many effective digital transformation models from other countries that can be brought back and applied in Nigeria," said Asuquo Ekpenyong.

Coming from the Middle East country of Syria, delegate Majd Abu Zidan expressed her excitement when she came to Vietnam for the first time.

Majd Abu Zidan (second from right) at the conference.

"Vietnam makes me feel like home. Of course, the traffic is different, and we don't have many motorbikes on the road, but the affection, openness and hospitality of the Vietnamese and Syrian people are the same," Majd Abu Zidan said.

Commenting on the conference's digital transformation and innovation themes, Majd Abu Zidan said that the complex socio-political context in Syria makes it difficult for people to access modern technology. That's why she wants to take this opportunity to learn from experiences in improving people's digital literacy and about innovative legislative models.

"This conference is a useful bridge for young parliamentarians to exchange experiences on digital transformation, find flexible adaptation solutions after the pandemic and market fluctuations, and thereby propose strategies to create an environment to mobilize resources for development investment, production and business, environment and infrastructure for people and businesses," she said.

Within the framework of the conference, the three main thematic discussions have received lively participation from international delegates, with about 30 presentations in the "Digital Transformation" session, 30 in the "Innovation and Startups" session, and up to 40 in the "Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in Support of Sustainable Development" session.