The 17th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) opened in Vientiane, Laos, on January 12. The Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly, Nguyen Phu Trong, delivered a speech at the first plenary session, calling for stronger cooperation between member countries to overcome challenges in 2009.
In his opening speech, Thoongsin Thammavong, chairman of the Lao National Assembly said that the meeting is taking place at a time when the world is experiencing many global complications, including political instability and economic crisis, having a far-reaching impact on many countries.
 
APPF 17 is a forum for its member countries to discuss and share viewpoints on a wide range of issues such as political stability, economic and trade cooperation, sustainable development, gender equality, food security and the group’s future development plans, said Mr Thammavong, who chaired the meeting.
At the first plenary session held shortly after the opening ceremony, Nguyen Phu Trong, chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly highlighted difficulties and challenges facing the region in 2008, including food and energy crisis, global financial and economic woes, political instability and climate change. He called on regional countries to promote cooperation to surmount these challenges in 2009.

“At this forum, we affirm our strong support for the high-level declaration adopted at the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Peru in November 2008 which encourages the acceleration of regional economic integration, institutional reform, improvements in food security and the settlement of social issues in the process of globalisation.
In this spirit, all APEC member economies should renew modes of operation and boost cooperation between inter-governmental institutions and regional inter-parliamentary organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and APEC to build a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity,” said Mr Trong. He affirmed that as a country in the Pacific Rim, Vietnam, together with other countries, has made every effort to contribute to the region’s common development.

“As an APPF member, the Vietnam National Assembly wants to cooperate closely with other parliaments in the region to promote parliamentary diplomacy and support the implementation of the cooperation policies of APEC member economies in order to promote mutual understanding and trust,” said Mr Trong.
He also proposed two draft resolutions on food security and gender equality, which were welcomed by the participating delegates.
During the five-day meeting, delegates will discuss topics such as peace and stability in Northeast and Southeast Asia, the Middle East peace process, the anti-cluster bomb initiative, sustainable tourism and natural disaster mitigation, food and energy security, and the renewal of APPF operation.
Later the same day, NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong had a meeting with his Lao counterpart Thoongsin Thammavong. Chairman Thammavong thanked the Vietnam National Assembly for helping Laos prepare for the APPF meeting, and said that the two legislative bodies will continue to implement cooperation agreements signed by the two countries’ leaders to strengthen the traditional friendship and special solidarity between Laos and Vietnam.
For his part, Mr Trong said that the Vietnamese delegation will take part in all activities, contributing to the success of the meeting. Both host and guest shared the view that the meeting is a chance for legislators in the region to assess progress, identify challenges and work out measures to develop Asia and the Pacific into an economic centre in the world in the 21st century.

In the evening, Mr Trong called on officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane. He told them to work harder to strengthen the traditional friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.