31st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Meeting Opens in Vietnam

2010-09-21
Xinhua
Web Editor: Sun Yang

The 31st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) meeting opened in Hanoi on Tuesday, drawing parliamentarians or representatives from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and AIPA observers.

In his opening speech, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, as the 31st AIPA Chair, said the meeting is of great importance and offers a chance for parliamentarians of ASEAN members to meet, discuss and put forth measures to promote integration process among countries within the region as well as intensifying cooperation with partners.

With the theme of "Solidarity for sustainable development of the ASEAN Community", participants are expected to hold discussions and propose various solutions to enhance solidarity and cooperation among parliaments in the region, further the cooperation between AIPA and ASEAN, respond to climate change, disasters and pandemics, and increase social welfare for women and children, said Trong.

Trong said that AIPA's recommendations have had a positive impact on policy-making decisions, law building and supervision of law enforcement of ASEAN members.

At the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said coordination between ASEAN and AIPA in the recent time has achieved positive progress.

The cooperation between governments and parliaments takes an important role in the promotion of building process of the ASEAN Community in 2015, he said.

Parliaments of ASEAN members have actively contributed to ASEAN' s achievements in regional cooperation and linkages, said Dung.

ASEAN currently groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.