National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu was re-elected Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee (VPC) for the 2020-2025 tenure during its National Congress in Hanoi on September 22.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu addresses the event (Photo: VNA)

 A new Presidium was also elected, with 50 members.

 Speaking at the event, Luu noted the congress is being held at a time when the world is struggling with COVID-19 and Vietnam has assumed the roles of ASEAN Chair, Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) 2020, and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The entire Party and the people are also focusing on Party congresses at all levels, towards the 13th National Party Congress in 2021.

 He said Vietnam is emerging as a bright spot in the fight against COVID-19, with social welfare and economic growth guaranteed, contributing to improving its stature on the international arena. The VPC will mark its 70th founding anniversary this year.

 During the 2013-2020 tenure, the VPC posted encouraging achievements, not only in people-to-people diplomacy but also in raising public awareness about peace and its value, he said.

 It sent 30 delegations overseas on working trips under bilateral and multilateral cooperation programmes and welcomed 15 foreign delegations to Vietnam for international conferences and bilateral exchanges. It also made active and responsible contributions to the activities of the World Peace Council (WPC). At the WPC’s Congress in 2016, Vietnam was elected as its Vice Chair. In 2017, the VPC held the Congress of the WPC Executive Committee, which was hailed as one of the most successful iterations so far.

 In cooperation with chapters of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and mass organisations, the VPC collected over 1.5 million signatures in 2015 and about 1 million in 2019-2020 nationwide, contributing to the global peace movement and the fight against nuclear weapons.

 The WPC also actively joined multilateral diplomatic people-to-people activities, such as the ASEAN People’s Forum and the Asia-Europe People’s Forum, and fought against reactionary forces in democracy and human rights.

 Luu expressed his belief that with the valuable contributions of the new Presidium, the VPC will carry out more practical activities, contributing to the country’s cause of national peace and friendship.

 On this occasion, VUFO President Nguyen Phuong Nga presented certificates of merit to collectives and individuals who made outstanding achievements in VPC activities during the previous tenure.