Parliamentary foreign policy in the era of national progress.

Throughout its 80-year history, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese National Assembly has continuously grown and reformed, gradually improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of its operations, and increasingly firmly asserting its position and role as the highest representative body of the people and the highest organ of state power.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, along with heads of delegations and international delegates, at the opening of the Francophone Parliamentary Cooperation Forum on Sustainable Agriculture , Food Security and Climate Change Response. (Photo: DANG ANH)

Throughout its 80-year history, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam , the Vietnamese National Assembly has continuously grown and reformed, gradually improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of its operations, and increasingly firmly asserting its position and role as the highest representative body of the people and the highest state power organ of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In this overall development, parliamentary diplomacy has become an important diplomatic channel, alongside Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, creating a synergistic strength for Vietnam's professional and modern diplomacy; contributing to enhancing the country's position in the international arena, promoting rapid and sustainable development, firmly protecting national sovereignty and national interests, and consolidating a complete and solid legal foundation for the process of deep international integration.

Parliamentary diplomacy is implemented systematically and comprehensively.

Recent practice shows that the National Assembly's foreign affairs activities have been implemented in an increasingly systematic and comprehensive manner, with a large volume of work and achieving many important results in various fields: Regarding lawmaking and supervision, the National Assembly has passed many laws and ordinances directly related to foreign affairs such as: the Law on International Treaties, the Law on National Borders, the Law on the Vietnamese Sea, the Law on International Agreements, the Law on Nationality, the Law on Exit, Entry, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, the Law on Vietnamese Representative Agencies Abroad; ratified many important agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), the Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); the Vietnam-European Union Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and many new generation free trade agreements…

This has significantly contributed to building and gradually perfecting a solid legal foundation for implementing foreign affairs activities in accordance with the country's conditions; and gradually meeting the requirements of international integration.

The opinions and critiques from the National Assembly's agencies and National Assembly deputies on foreign affairs and international integration issues are increasingly numerous, highly practical, and make a tangible contribution to the planning and implementation of the Party and State's foreign policy.

Bilateral parliamentary cooperation between the National Assembly and the National Assembly has been actively and effectively promoted at many levels, focusing on relations with neighboring countries; deepening and stabilizing relations with strategic partners; consolidating friendly relations and promoting substantive relations with major partners and traditional friends...; especially at the high level with the active participation of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly, with a proactive, responsible, positive, flexible, and comprehensive approach in all areas.

To date, the Vietnamese National Assembly has established relations with more than 140 parliaments and national assemblies; formed more than 50 parliamentary friendship groups with the parliaments of other countries, and implemented many effective and practical activities.

In addition, exchange programs between the committees and specialized agencies of the Vietnamese National Assembly and the legislative bodies of other countries have been established and implemented effectively.

The areas and content of cooperation are increasingly diverse; not only limited to exchanging and learning experiences on lawmaking, promoting cooperation in monitoring law enforcement and international commitments, but also paving the way for cooperation in development, resolving existing problems, building trust and enhancing understanding with partner countries, contributing to affirming the image of a dynamic, innovative, professional and effective Vietnamese National Assembly.

To date, the Vietnamese National Assembly has established relations with more than 140 parliaments and national assemblies; formed more than 50 parliamentary friendship groups with the parliaments of other countries, and implemented many effective and practical activities.

The Vietnamese National Assembly has signed many cooperation agreements with Parliaments(1), including agreements signed simultaneously with both the Senate and the House of Representatives(2).

The continuous expansion and deepening of cooperative relations between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the legislative bodies of other countries has contributed to promoting and facilitating the implementation of state diplomatic relations in the fields of politics, diplomacy, defense and security, economics, trade, investment, sustainable development cooperation, science and technology, culture and education, and people-to-people exchanges.

Within the framework of multilateral parliamentary cooperation, the Vietnamese National Assembly is currently a member of many regional and global parliamentary organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), the Francophone Parliamentary Forum (APF), etc.

In addition, the Vietnamese National Assembly also participates in several other non-regular inter-parliamentary forums. The Vietnamese National Assembly's mark in multilateral parliamentary diplomacy in recent years includes hosting important multilateral conferences of international and regional significance such as: the 132nd IPU General Assembly (IPU-132, 2015), the 26th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26, 2018), the 41st AIPA General Assembly (AIPA-41, 2020), the 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (2023), the APF Executive Board Meeting and the Francophone Parliamentary Cooperation Forum on Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation (2025).

The National Assembly's foreign relations activities have contributed to affirming Vietnam's readiness to be a friend and a reliable partner; proactively and actively participating in regional and international parliamentary forums, demonstrating responsibility in addressing regional and global issues.

Within multilateral parliamentary cooperation mechanisms, the Vietnamese National Assembly has actively and proactively participated, proposing many initiatives to promote sustainable development, confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, and the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law… which have been supported and highly appreciated by other countries.

In addition, the National Assembly's foreign affairs activities have promoted dialogue, contributing to the satisfactory resolution of many specific foreign affairs issues such as territorial borders, struggles on religious issues, democracy, human rights, foreign information and propaganda, handling existing institutional obstacles or issues arising in bilateral cooperation.

The National Assembly's foreign affairs department has also made significant contributions to mobilizing the Vietnamese community abroad to turn towards the homeland and join hands in building the country.

During overseas visits and exchanges with parliamentary leaders in countries with large Vietnamese expatriate communities, the National Assembly delegations have consistently focused on understanding the realities of the lives and activities of Vietnamese expatriates. They have organized community meetings to exchange information, helping expatriates better understand the country's socio-economic development achievements, new policies of the Party and State, especially policies towards the Vietnamese community abroad, and listened to their thoughts and aspirations, encouraging them to turn towards their homeland.

Parliamentary diplomacy continues to enhance its stature and position, contributing to mobilizing resources to lead the country into a new era.

The 14th National Congress of the Party is a particularly important milestone for the country's development path in the new period, taking place in the context of a world and region that continues to experience rapid changes, with many unpredictable factors, opening up opportunities for development but also posing numerous challenges for Vietnamese diplomacy.

In this context, the overarching goal of the National Assembly's foreign policy is to work with our diplomatic pillars to closely adhere to the Party's foreign policy decisions and guidelines, build upon the achievements already made, and continue to maintain a peaceful, stable, and favorable environment for the cause of national construction, protection, and development; successfully implement strategic tasks in socio-economic development, striving to achieve the national development goals by 2030, with a vision to 2045; and at the same time resolutely and persistently defend our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, ensuring our core interests and in accordance with international law.

Parliamentary foreign relations need to be further strengthened as one of the important components of comprehensive and modern diplomacy; proactively, actively, and responsibly participate in multilateral parliamentary mechanisms; promote bilateral relations with the parliaments of other countries, especially with strategic and important partners; and at the same time improve the quality of legislation, ratification, and supervision of the implementation of international treaties, ensuring harmony between national interests and international commitments.

Building a professional and capable team of parliamentary diplomacy officials who are proficient in foreign languages ​​and technology, and knowledgeable about international law and practices, is also a key factor in improving the quality and effectiveness of their work.

In the context of digital transformation and the rapid changes in the international environment, the National Assembly also faces the need to strongly innovate its methods of foreign affairs to adapt to the new situation, including strengthening the application of information technology in organizing activities, expanding forms of dialogue and online exchange, and improving the timeliness and effectiveness of parliamentary contact and connection.

Furthermore, building a professional and capable team of parliamentary diplomacy officials who are proficient in foreign languages ​​and technology, and knowledgeable about international law and practices, is also a key factor in improving the quality and effectiveness of their work.

In particular, following and studying the articles and directives of General Secretary To Lam on international integration in the new situation and the mission of foreign affairs in the new era, the next phase of the National Assembly's foreign affairs needs to continue to play an active role in realizing the vision and aspiration of taking our country "from deep integration to full integration, to the state of a rising nation" as General Secretary To Lam said.

In light of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, alongside Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, parliamentary diplomacy will continue to uphold its stature and position, which have been affirmed over the years. It will implement a comprehensive set of solutions to ensure the Party's leadership over parliamentary diplomacy; improve the quality of advisory work, increase professionalism in implementing foreign affairs activities, and continue to promote the active and proactive role of the National Assembly in both bilateral and multilateral channels; contributing to mobilizing resources to usher the country into a new era and realize the aspiration of building a prosperous, happy, and thriving Vietnam.

(1) Australia, Armenia, Argentina, India, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ivory Coast, Cambodia, Cuba, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Mozambique, Russia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, China, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Uruguay…

(2) Australia, Belgium, Uruguay.

Tran Thanh Man

Speaker of the National Assembly

Source: https://nhandan.vn/doi-ngoai-cua-quoc-hoi-trong-ky-nguyen-vuon-minh-cua-dan-toc-post937487.html