(VOVworld) - In his speech at the plenary session of the 130th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-130) that opened in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung called for stronger mutual trust to forge sustainable peace and promote democracy and prosperity.
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| National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung speaks at the plenary session of the 130th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (Photo: VNA) |
Chairman Hung said Vietnam supports a world of peace, cooperation and prosperity. Hung said Vietnam backs non-proliferation of arms towards fully eliminating weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons. Vietnam strongly condemns terrorist acts and threats all over the world and hails the IPU for intensifying cooperation among legislatures, especially in the sharing of information against terrorism. Mr. Hung said: "Vietnam hopes the IPU will continue ensuring and promoting democracy. Countries need to respect and protect human rights in line with international norms and continue reinforcing the role of the State governed by law. Human rights are not only promoted by the National Assembly in its legislative and law enforcement role, but also through dialogues and international cooperation on human rights at the UN and international organizations like IPU".
The top legislator invited IPU member states to IPU-132, scheduled to take place in Hanoi in 2015.
On the sidelines of the event, Chairman Hung met with Speaker of Bangladeshi Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. He said the Vietnamese National Assembly treasures and wishes to expand its ties with Bangladesh’s legislature and people. Chaudhury agreed to bolster links with the Vietnamese NA in law-making and exchange of delegations.
The same day, Chairman Hung visited the UN’s Geneva Office where the Geneva accord on Indochina was signed in 1954. He also met with the Head of the Office, Michael Moller, the Vietnamese delegation in Geneva, and the staff of Vietnam’s Switzerland embassy. Mr. Hung said the National Assembly has always supported the overseas Vietnamese community there: "Vietnamese people, wherever they are, are still part of the Vietnamese nation. I hope that you will always be proud of your homeland and behave so as to be respected by our international friends. It is necessary to respect customs and laws of the countries where you are living. Learning and preserving the Vietnamese language should be your top priority there".
Chairman Hung expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in foreign countries like Switzerland will help each other preserve traditional Vietnamese values, look toward the homeland, and make contributions to investment, business, education, technology transfer, culture, and tourism in Vietnam.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has begun his official visit to Switzerland. During his talks with the Chairman of the Lower House of the Federal Assembly, Ruedi Lustenberger, on Tuesday, Hung said that his visit was to deepen the multi-faceted cooperation and friendship between the two countries and legislative bodies. He called for further exchanges of visits to strengthen mutual understanding towards a practical relationship, especially at the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Chairman Lustenberger pledged to promote the implementation of bilateral agreements and support Vietnam in technical training and technological transfer. He was invited to join the 132nd IPU general assembly meeting next March.