Vietnam parliament reaffirms commitment to AIPA at 46th General Assembly

THE HANOI TIMES — Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man has affirmed that Vietnam’s legislature will continue to stand side by side with AIPA to transform ASEAN's vision and aspirations into reality.

Man delivered the message in his keynote address at the 1st Plenary Session of the 46th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-46) in Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur during his visit on September 17-20.

"Vietnam will contribute to building an inclusive, sustainable, resilient and innovative ASEAN Community with people at its center," the Vietnamese top legislator said.

He commended the theme of AIPA-46, “Parliaments at the forefront of inclusive and sustainable ASEAN growth”, saying it reflects the desire of member parliaments to turn commitments into concrete actions.

According to Man, AIPA has played an important role in assisting governments to implement regional agreements, creating a legal environment conducive to cooperation and ensuring that people’s voices are reflected in ASEAN decision-making.

In the context of rapid and complex regional and global changes, he proposed three priority areas for AIPA’s focus in the coming years.

These include promoting more effective regional cooperation, where AIPA acts as a bridge for all sectors and stakeholders to contribute to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, particularly through institutional building, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Another aspect is strengthening the social foundation of ASEAN by nurturing identity, promoting people-to-people exchange, culture, education, tourism and encouraging public participation, especially of vulnerable groups.

It is also necessary to deepen external relations, intensify coordination among member parliaments and strengthen ties with external partners to enhance ASEAN’s centrality in regional and global cooperation networks.

At the session, Man highlighted that 2025 marks a series of special milestones for Vietnam in its relationship with ASEAN. The country will celebrate 30 years of ASEAN membership and AIPA participation and 10 years since the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

He stated that these anniversaries are opportunities for Vietnam and other members to accelerate the comprehensive and effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, aligning regional goals with national development strategies.

The chairman affirmed that Vietnam’s National Assembly will extend its active and substantive contribution to AIPA resolutions, legislative initiatives and oversight activities to ensure that all ASEAN citizens benefit from growth, opportunities and prosperity.

AIPA-46 opens in Kuala Lumpur with Vietnam in a leading role

AIPA-46 opened on September 18 in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur under the theme “Parliaments at the forefront of inclusive and sustainable ASEAN growth”.

Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair 2025 and AIPA-46 host, placed parliaments at the center of policies addressing key regional challenges from climate change and digital transformation to food security and sustainable finance.

In his opening remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed the importance of AIPA and member parliaments in strengthening unity, promoting economic integration and reinforcing ASEAN centrality in responding to regional and global challenges.

He said that inclusivity means representing both elites and the most marginalized in urban and rural areas, echoing the spirit of the AIPA-46 theme.

Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato' Johari bin Abdul, who chairs AIPA-46, also talked about the need to increase youth and women’s participation in policymaking and to ensure that the rights and obligations of vulnerable groups are heard and addressed.

AIPA Secretary General Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman highlighted the irreplaceable role of parliaments in bridging commitments and action, connecting governments and citizens and turning vision into reality.

She called on members to put the voices of 670 million ASEAN citizens at the center of all decisions.

For Vietnam, attendance at AIPA-46 has once again demonstrated its active and responsible role in ASEAN, sharing experiences, advancing dialogue and promoting cooperation at all levels.

The participation of Chairman Tran Thanh Man and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation also proved Vietnam’s commitment to working with fellow parliaments and ensuring ASEAN’s inclusive and sustainable growth.

With the theme of “Parliaments at the forefront” resonating with ASEAN’s 2025 focus on inclusiveness and sustainability, Vietnam’s message of “standing side by side with AIPA” positioned the country as a driver of parliamentary action to realize ASEAN’s vision.

AIPA-46 provided a forum for exchange, moving from words to action and from vision to tangible results, as regional and global challenges demand closer cooperation than ever.

Vietnam’s National Assembly, with its leadership spirit, is taking the initiative to propose ideas, contribute to resolutions and promote the implementation of laws and policies so that every ASEAN citizen can benefit from growth, opportunities and shared prosperity on the road to 2045.