Parliamentary summit to elevate collaboration among CLV countries: Official

Deputy head of the National Assembly Committee for External Relations Lê Thu Hà. — Photo from the National Assembly of Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — The top legislators of Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia will discuss measures to strengthen the parliament’s role in promoting the cooperation, solidarity and political partnership among the three countries during the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit in Laos, according to deputy head of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for External Relations Lê Thu Hà.

In order to foster collaboration among the three countries in the parliament channel alongside the Party and State channels, during the 43rd General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-43) in November 2022, Vietnamese NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ, President of the Cambodian NA Samdech Heng Samrin and Lao NA Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane signed a joint statement on the establishment of the biennial CLV Parliamentary Summit mechanism to be co-chaired by Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian top legislators.

Hà stressed that the organisation of the first CLV Parliamentary Summit marked an important milestone in the history of cooperation among CLV parliaments and the elevation of the partnership among the three legislatures to the highest level, contributing to reinforcing and promoting the special traditional solidarity, close attachment and mutual support among the three Parties, States and peoples.

She added that the event also affirmed the determination of the CLV parliaments in further deepening their partnership and cooperation, benefiting the people of each country.

Sending out the message of peace, friendship, solidarity and cooperation for prosperity and sustainable development, the top legislators of the three countries would deliver important speeches on strengthening the role of CLV parliaments in beefing up cooperation, partnership, solidarity and prosperity among the three countries, she said.

According to Hà, the summit will listen to a report by the Coordination Committee for the CLV Development Triangle area and another report on field survey results in provinces in the Development Triangle area of three CLV countries, to be presented by the NA delegations of three CLV countries.

CLV Committees on Politics-Diplomacy, Economy-Culture-Society and Defence-Security Cooperation will convene their meetings within the summit’s framework, with the participation of Government agencies and representatives from localities in the CLV Development Triangle area.

The CLV Parliament Summit is scheduled to issue a joint statement demonstrating the political determination and commitments of leaders of the three legislatures in further expanding and deepening their partnership, thus promoting the comprehensive cooperation of the three countries in all areas of politics, culture, economy, external relations, security and defence for the socio-economic growth in each country and the common interest of the people in the CLV Development Triangle area, said Hà.

The deputy head of the Vietnamese NA Committee for External Relations said that as the initiator of the upgrade of the CLV committee-level conference mechanism to the CLV Parliament Summit, the Vietnamese NA had actively proposed ideas and coordinated closely with the first summit’s host – the Lao NA, to build the agenda and decide main discussion topics of the summit as well as CLV committees.

The Vietnamese NA had also actively engaged in the drafting of the joint statement of the summit, giving many ideas to complete the documents in a constructive, goodwill and responsible spirit, contributing to promoting consensus, she said.

Hà expressed her belief that the summit would be a success, laying the official foundation for multilateral cooperation at the highest level among the CLV parliaments, thus continuing to develop the political ties among the three countries, contributing to reinforcing solidarity, cooperation and mutual support among them, and bolstering the bilateral relations between Việt Nam and Cambodia, Việt Nam and Laos, and Cambodia and Laos at the same time.

Regarding NA Chairman Huệ’s visit to Laos on the occasion of the summit, Hà said that the NA leader was scheduled to hold meetings and talks with leaders of the Party, State and NA of Laos to inform them on the situation of Việt Nam, the outcomes of the NA sixth session as well as the country’s external relations and major orientations for the future, and discuss measures to further strengthen bilateral ties in the coming time. The meetings would also mention regional and international issues of shared concern.

The NA Chairman Huệ would also meet Lao alumni and students who studied in Việt Nam and the Vietnamese businesses and community in the neighbouring country, she added. — VNS