Scene at the meeting. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

At the 55th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Wednesday, Chairman Man stressed the need the revise the Law on Vietnamese Representative Offices Abroad given the rapid changes in the world.

“A deeper analysis is requested in the context of free trade agreements, where the role of representative offices abroad is not just that of messengers, but that of pioneers. Regulations regarding the responsibility of representative offices in providing early warning of technical barriers and trade defense lawsuits against Vietnamese goods need to be added, enabling domestic businesses to respond proactively,” Mr. Man said. 

Regarding provisions on the protection of citizens and legal entities, the National Assembly Chairman suggested that the process of coordinating with Vietnamese associations in host countries should be legalized, leveraging the strength of the community.

He said digital diplomacy must be concretized in the Law, and a framework provision on modernizing the operations of representative offices should be included, creating a legal basis for building digital representative offices, easing direct pressure at headquarters, and maximizing convenience for the Vietnamese community abroad.

The Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Vietnamese Representative Agencies Abroad will be submitted and passed at the first session of the 16th National Assembly in April.