Vietnam attends opening of 143 IPU General Assembly

A Vietnamese delegation led by Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha attended the opening of the 143rd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-143) hosted by the Parliament of Spain in Madrid on November 26 evening (local time).

Themed “Contemporary challenges to democracy: Overcoming division and building communities”, the event drew nearly 1,500 delegates from 123 member parliaments, eight affiliate members and 20 observers, including 39 heads and 27 deputy heads of parliaments.

In his opening remarks, King of Spain Felipe VI underscored the importance of parliaments, considering them a central institution of democracy.

President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and UN Secretary General António Guterres also highlighted the significance of parliamentary diplomacy as well as parliaments’ activities to realise the UN’s agreements. They affirmed commitment to further strengthening strategic partnership between the UN and the IPU.

The same day, the Vietnamese delegation met Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Barcelona Pau Guardans Cambo to discuss bilateral cooperation opportunities, especially in economy, culture, sports and tourism and others fields of the two countries’ strength.

They also visited headquarters of the Spanish company HIPRA and learned about its progress of studying and experimenting COVID-19 vaccine which is expected to be licensed and put into use in the first quarter next year.   

From November 27-30, the Vietnamese delegation plans to continue joining the UN General Assembly’s activities and hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the events.