Opening of the Francophone Parliamentary Cooperation Forum

Kinhtedothi - On the morning of January 21, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attended the opening of the Francophone Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Agriculture , Food Security and Climate Change Response.

The event was organized by the Vietnamese National Assembly on the occasion of hosting the Executive Committee Meeting of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF).

In his opening remarks at the Forum, on behalf of the National Assembly and the people of Vietnam, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man warmly welcomed the leaders of the APF member parliaments, the delegations of member and observer parliaments, and the invited guests who accepted the invitation to attend the Forum organized by the Vietnamese National Assembly on the occasion of hosting the APF Executive Committee Meeting in Can Tho City.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man with delegates.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man stated that Vietnam identifies agriculture as the backbone of the economy, contributing to improving people's lives and maintaining political stability and social order and security.

Ensuring food security is one of the components of human security, a prerequisite for guaranteeing the right to life. With positive achievements in the agricultural sector, Vietnam, together with several Francophone African members, is effectively implementing South-South and trilateral cooperation.

"Cooperation in this field needs to be further promoted, with the participation of developed countries in the Francophone world. Cooperation in agriculture will contribute to poverty reduction, food security, and the effective implementation of sustainable development goals in the Francophone space," said the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

The Parliamentary Forum on Francophone Cooperation is one of the activities of the Francophone Parliament following the Paris Summit. The Vietnamese National Assembly hopes that this activity will contribute to promoting Francophone cooperation. Accordingly, it encourages and supports cooperation in science, technology, innovation, digital economy, entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships; promotes the French language, fosters cultural diversity; and emphasizes the determination of Francophone countries to achieve sustainable development, ensuring a balance between efforts to increase growth, eradicate poverty, and protect the environment.

"It is in that spirit that the Vietnamese National Assembly is organizing today's Forum to promote cooperation among countries in the Francophone community to build sustainable agriculture, ensure livelihoods for each household and food security for each nation, while simultaneously addressing global climate change," said National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered the opening remarks at the forum.

Today's forum will be an opportunity for delegates to discuss ideas and actions of Francophone member parliaments to promote sustainable agriculture and ensure food security, while also addressing climate change. Parliamentarians will share lessons and best practices in developing policies and laws for sustainable agricultural development aimed at ensuring food security and promoting adaptation and mitigation actions against climate change.

“A highlight of the Forum is the expected adoption of the Can Tho Declaration on Francophone cooperation on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response. I believe that this will be an important outcome to affirm the crucial role of Francophone parliaments and the contributions of Francophone parliamentarians in jointly addressing global challenges, promoting regional, inter-regional, and multilateral cooperation, and contributing to translating commitments into concrete actions,” the Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized.

 

Vietnam is a key member of the Francophone community in the Asia-Pacific region. The Vietnamese National Assembly is proactive and responsible within the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF), through active participation and hosting several APF Committee/Network-level conferences.

APF highly appreciates Vietnam's pioneering role in the activities of the Francophone Community, the International Organization of Francophonie, and APF in the region.

From January 21-24, 2025, Vietnam will host the APF Executive Board Meeting and the Francophone Parliamentary Cooperation Forum on Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change Response in Can Tho City.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/khai-mac-dien-dan-nghi-vien-hop-tac-phap-ngu.html