Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, gave a haul of medical face masks to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretariat on July 9 on behalf of National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, (in the middle) and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong (in black suit) pose for a photo after the handover ceremony 

Addressing the handover ceremony at the IPU headquarters in Geneva, Ambassador Mai stated that the gift represents the solidarity and friendly co-operation ties that exist between the Vietnamese NA and the IPU Secretariat.

She also conveyed a message of greetings and best wishes from NA Chairwoman Ngan to IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

The Ambassador went on to outline how the Vietnamese NA places the utmost importance on the role and activities carried out by the IPU in promoting parliamentary diplomacy, noting their appreciation for Chungong's contribution to the IPU.

The Ambassador added that despite the impact of the novel coronavirus, Vietnam is working hard to fulfill its roles as the ASEAN Chair and the President of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) by launching initiatives aimed at promoting cohesion and proactive adaptation.

Mai concluded by conveying an invitation from NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to the IPU Secretary General to attend the AIPA 41 chaired by the Vietnamese NA. The event will be take place online on July 30.

In response, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong expressed his happiness upon receiving the gift from NA Chairwoman Ngan, in addition to accepting her invitation to attend the AIPA 41.

He also expressed how impressed he has been by the development of Vietnam in various fields in recent years, including the success of the 132nd IPU General Assembly 2015, as well as the country’s efforts to meet the commitments of the Hanoi Declaration through a number of activities.