AIPA's 45th General Assembly opens in Vientiane

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man led the Vietnamese delegation to the event.

Opening the event, President of the Lao NA and Chair of AIPA-45 Saysomphone Phomvihane highlighted the significance of the AIPA as a forum to exchange strategic orientations to realise the common goals of AIPA and ASEAN.

The AIPA-45 is taking place amid complicated and unpredictable developments in the region and the world, including many important problems such as conflicts in many places, climate change, natural disasters, and economic and financial crises. In the face of unprecedented difficulties and challenges, cooperation has continued to be valued and become a prominent trend in relations among countries, he noted.

The Lao top legislator said that the trend of solidarity and cooperation is clearly demonstrated through ASEAN's efforts in implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, ASEAN Community Blueprint 2025, ASEAN Connectivity Blueprint 2025, and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan.

The AIPA 2024 Chair affirmed the important role of AIPA as a legislative body representing the will and aspirations of the people of ASEAN member states with the core task of supporting ASEAN in pursuing the common goals and bringing about practical benefits.

Theme "The Role of Parliaments in Enhancing Connectivity and Inclusive Growth of ASEAN", AIPA-45 will supplement ASEAN's joint cooperation efforts in the spirit of the 2024 theme of promoting connectivity and resilience, he said, stressing that this demonstrates AIPA's commitment to promoting the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, enhancing regional connectivity, promoting infrastructure development, and perfecting the legal framework on transportation, telecommunications, energy connectivity and other important areas. These initiatives facilitate trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges among the ASEAN member states, and promote economic integration while narrowing the development gap, improving the quality of people's lives, and contributing to consolidating a harmonious and equally developed community with open relations with external partners, the leader added.

He suggested that the AIPA and ASEAN strengthen cooperation and mutual support in completing their assigned tasks, promoting peace, stability and sustainable development, and meeting the practical interests of the people.

Addressing the opening ceremony, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith lauded the theme of the AIPA-45 as demonstrating the commitment and efforts to turn Laos from a landlocked country into a hub of connectivity in the region.

(Source: VNA)