Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (fourth from left) and other delegates at the 44th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-44) pose for a commemorative group photo

In tandem with the country’s diplomatic accomplishments, the National Assembly’s foreign affairs have been vibrant and have seen a marked improvement in quality. This has effectively bolstered the unique nature of the Assembly’s work, which encompasses both state diplomacy and profound humanitarian aspects.

The foreign affairs conducted by the National Assembly, particularly by its Chairman and Vice Chairmen, have transformed parliamentary diplomacy into an important foreign political channel. This has served to deepen cooperative relations with other nations, elevate Vietnam’s international standing, particularly in politics, diplomacy, society, economy, and science, and harness external resources to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and expand economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

The year 2023 was pivotal for the implementation of the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the National Assembly’s resolution on the 5-year socioeconomic development plan (2021-2025). During this year, parliamentary diplomacy was actively and effectively conducted, yielding comprehensive and substantive results.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue undertook highly successful official visits to the Republic of Cuba, the Argentine Republic, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Indonesia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also hosted online discussions with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.

Standing Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man participated in the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-146) in Manama, Bahrain, and visited Spain. Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai embarked on a working visit to South Korea, while Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh attended the International Ecological Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

As the nation prepared to usher in the Year of the Cat 2023, the National Assembly’s foreign affairs were notably vibrant with the warm reception of Kim Jin Pyo, Chairman of the National Assembly of Korea, on his official visit to Vietnam marking the commencement of high-level parliamentary exchanges between the National Assembly of Vietnam and other countries in 2023.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas in Hanoi, June 2023

The National Assembly of Vietnam welcomed parliamentary leaders from around the globe, including President Adama Bictogo of the National Assembly of the Republic of Ivory Coast, President Martin Candinas of the National Council of Switzerland, and most recently, President Stéphanie D’Hose of the Senate of Belgium, who visited Vietnam from August 21 to August 25.

The National Assembly also extended its hospitality to Andrey Yatskin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council and Khambay Damlath, Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly. Secretary General Oum Sarith of the Senate of Cambodia, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, and the Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance also embarked on working tours to Vietnam. These dignitaries represent neighboring countries and important partners of Vietnam.

During its term, the NA made significant decisions on the nation’s foreign affairs, actively ratified the accession or termination of international treaties to which Vietnam is a member, and ensured compliance with Party guidelines and state laws. The NA supervised the enforcement of international treaties, fostering the country’s robust development and accelerating its integration. Exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly high-level delegations and Party channel delegations, occurred frequently, facilitating learning experiences in parliamentary oversight and lawmaking.

Vietnam proactively hosted numerous major multilateral events, including the 14th AIPA Caucus Meeting, celebratory events for the 45th AIPA founding anniversary, the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, and other frameworks such as APPF, IPU, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. Vietnam also proposed several initiatives on narrowing the development gap and addressing climate change, energy security, and water resources.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz at the Vietnam-Cuba Business Forum held in Havana, April 2023

The synchronized, vibrant and effective implementation of foreign affairs across channels, with the NA’s foreign affairs making comprehensive and effective contributions to the Party, State, and public diplomacy, on both bilateral and multilateral channels, was impressive and highly appreciated by international public opinions.

The NA’s foreign affairs have been carried out actively and comprehensively, on both bilateral and multilateral levels, making significant contributions to the country’s overall foreign policy achievements, deepening Vietnam’s inclusive and substantive cooperation ties with other countries, and practically supporting vaccine diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and socioeconomic development. These are considered “bright spots in bilateral relations” with many countries.

The NA’s foreign affairs have promoted its effectiveness, advantages, and unique features that are both state- and people-based, increasingly asserting the position of parliamentary diplomacy in the comprehensive modern diplomacy of Vietnam.