National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man proposed major priority directions to promote parliaments’ role in strengthening ASEAN’s connectivity, while addressing the first plenary session of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45) in Vientiane, Laos, on October 19, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

The news agency quoted the NA chairman as saying that AIPA should work more closely with ASEAN to enhance solidarity, cooperation, and unity in diversity, along with promoting ASEAN’s spirit of independence, resilience, and strategic reliance, as well as international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Vietnamese leader stressed the need to review and assess the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and roll out cooperation strategies through 2045. This should focus on promoting harmonious, sustainable, inclusive, and comprehensive development, ensuring no one is left behind, with special attention to sub-regional cooperation and narrowing development gaps, he said.

At the same time, according to the Vietnamese leader, AIPA needs to carry forward its role in complementing parliamentary diplomacy within the broader framework of state diplomacy among the ASEAN member countries and with ASEAN’s partners. It should provide greater support to governments with feasible solutions to help achieve ASEAN’s objectives.

Chairman Man also touched upon enhancing cooperation among countries in natural disaster prevention and climate change response, ensuring a balance between development and environmental protection, as well as safeguarding food and water security.

He suggested the acceleration of digital transformation, green transition, and energy transition, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship to create new, sustainable growth drivers for ASEAN, alongside revitalizing traditional growth engines.

The NA leader emphasized the harmonious, sustainable, and inclusive development with people as the centre, subject, driving force, resource, and target of development.

He held that since its inception nearly 60 years ago, ASEAN has made remarkable milestones, transforming Southeast Asia into a region of peace, prosperity, and stability, a bright spot for growth and global integration, and an active factor in shaping the regional structure, enhancing connectivity, and aligning interests of nations, particularly in promoting institution and policy linkages.