(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hosted a state banquet for delegates attending IPU 132 in Hanoi on Tuesday. Among the attendees were National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, IPU President Saber Chowdhury, and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong. Prime Minister Dung said IPU 132 is a crucial event of Vietnam’s external affairs. It is also a testimony to Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence and self-reliance to strive for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, to multi-lateralize and diversify external relations, and to actively integrate into the world. To that end, Vietnam will work as a friend, reliable partner, and responsible member of the international community.
Mr. Dung said the Assembly will adopt an IPU statement and a number of important decisions to affirm that the IPU not only is the world’s largest multilateral parliamentary cooperation forum but also contributes significantly to the UN’s agenda for post-2015 global sustainable development. Reviewing Vietnam’s achievements in 30 years of reform, Prime Minister Dung said Vietnam has shifted from a centrally-run economy to a market economy and its annual economic growth rate has been approximately 7%. Political stability, social security, and progress have been ensured and people’s living conditions have improved considerably. The United Nations has commended Vietnam for achieving many Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule. Prime Minister Dung said: “To maintain peace, friendship, stability, and security in a sustainable way, each nation, big or small, should respect the independence, sovereignty, and legitimate interests of other nations and care about the common interests of the region and the world. This awareness will help to boost cooperative mechanisms, build trust, and settle disputes through peaceful measures in line with the UN Charter, international law, and international commitments without using or threatening to use force. We hope that governments and parliaments will work together in implementing the Hanoi IPU statement in a spirit of “turning words into action” in order to maintain peace, strengthen friendship and cooperation, and develop sustainably.”
Prime Minister Dung praised other nations’ support for Vietnam and urged continued support and cooperation in the future.