(VOVWORLD) - The second online meeting of the four ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) committees in Hanoi on Wednesday suggested ways to help ASEAN overcome difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 (Photo:qdnd.vn) |
At the meeting of the Committee on Political Matters, delegates listened to the reports from the AIPA Advisory Group Meeting and the ASEAN-AIPA Leadership Meeting over the past 3 years and discussed the meeting’s theme “Parliamentary diplomacy for peace and sustainable security in ASEAN”.
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Chairman of AIPA’s Committee on Political Matters, said: "We committed ourselves to strengthening our efforts to promote parliamentary diplomacy and promoting close coordination and collaboration between the legislative and executive branches in preserving regional peace, security, stability and reinforcing an open, inclusive, transparent rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at the center."
Mr. Son added: "We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and over flight above the South China Sea as well as upholding international law, working actively toward the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), consistent with international law including 1982 UNCLOS."
 (Photo:qdnd.vn) |
At the meeting the AIPA Committee on Economic Matters the same day, delegates suggested ASEAN countries come up with measures to recover the economy and improve people’s lives after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A representative from Brunei said: "We fully support to AIPA’s endless efforts and initiatives in making our regional economy stable again in this cohesive and responsive ASEAN. We acknowledge that no country can overcome this pandemic alone."
At the meeting of the Committee on Social Matters, delegates said promoting the expansion of emergency responses and ensuring all people equal access to social security services is an important task for each country. They said one of the top priorities is to ensure people’s access to health care services, vaccines, preventive medicine, treatment, and quality medical equipment.