Geneva (VNA) – Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man met with President of the German Bundesrat Anke Rehlinger and Speaker of the Canadian Senate Raymonde Gagné, on the sidelines of the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on July 30.

At the meeting with the Bundesrat President, NA Chairman Man affirmed that Vietnam highly values Germany’s role and position, and attaches great importance to strengthening and developing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Expressing delight at the positive developments in Vietnam–Germany relations, especially the growing cooperation between their legislative bodies, he proposed enhancing delegation exchanges at all levels, particularly between parliamentary leaders, specialised committees, and young parliamentarians. He also suggested that both sides effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms and coordinate activities to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025.

NA Chairman Man called on the German parliament to soon complete the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), establish a Germany–Vietnam parliamentary friendship group, and advocate for the European Commission to lift its “yellow card” warning on Vietnam’s seafood exports related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

For her part, President Anke Rehlinger lauded Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements and its role on the international arena. She affirmed that Vietnam is one of Germany’s most important partners in its Indo-Pacific strategy and pledged that Germany will remain one of Vietnam’s leading trading partners and investors.

The two sides agreed to promote multilateralism and continue their close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and inter-parliamentary platforms. They expressed support for the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law, the UN Charter, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also exchanged views on measures to boost people-to-people exchange, including facilitating conditions for the nearly 300,000 Vietnamese nationals living, studying, and working in Germany.

NA Chairman Man took this occasion to extend invitations to both the President of the Bundesrat and the President of the Bundestag ౠto visit Vietnam at an early date.

Meeting with the Speaker of the Senate of Canada Raymonde Gagné, NA Chairman Man expressed his gratitude to her and the Canadian parliament for their support for Vietnam's successful hosting of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF) Executive Committee Meeting earlier this year, which resulted in the Can Tho Declaration on Francophone cooperation regarding sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change.

Assessing the bilateral relations, he welcomed the positive developments of the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership across all sectors, with the parliamentary relations emerging as a bright spot. The two parliaments have stepped up exchanges and coordination at international forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Appreciating the close collaboration within the APF framework through information sharing, experience exchange, and mutual support, the top legislator proposed expanding exchanges between parliamentarians and enhancing cooperation at multilateral parliamentary platforms.

On this occasion, he invited the Canadian Senate Speaker and other parliamentary leaders to visit Vietnam soon.

The Canadian leader, for her part, affirmed Canada’s commitment to deepening its Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam, highlighting that the relationship is a key pillar in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

She commended the Southeast Asian country’s achievements in socio-economic development, institutional restructuring, and the recent amendments to its Penal Code, which reduced the number of offenses subject to death penalty.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation, both bilateral and at multilateral forums, and support respect for international law, including the settlement of disputes via peaceful means in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. They also discussed the possibility of upgrading bilateral ties in a suitable time./.