 National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue delivers a speech at the first plenary session of AIPA-43 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: Doan Tan/ VNA) |
In 2022, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue paid official visits to seven countries, including neighboring countries and important partners, and attended the 43rd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-43). Vietnam’s National Assembly received five visiting delegations of National Assembly/Parliament Speakers in 2022.
Last year, for the first time, the leaders of the National Assemblies of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos signed a joint statement on establishing their summit mechanism which promoted and monitored the implementation of agreements, action programs and cooperation projects reached by the three Governments as well as of multilateral agreements to which the three countries are members. Moreover, the promoted parliamentary diplomacy activities between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia contributed to the success of the State activities to mark the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations and 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations.
Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Vice-Chair of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee, described parliamentary diplomacy as Channel 1.5.
“It is necessary to promote the concept of so-called Channel 1.5 diplomacy. Channel 1 diplomacy is diplomacy of the State. Channel 2 diplomacy is diplomacy of non-State organizations. Parliamentary diplomacy is in-between those two diplomacies. Through activities of the National Assembly Chairman, we can see that Vietnam’s parliamentary diplomacy is not less prominent than government diplomacy. This shows continual democratization in Vietnam,” she said.