Four strategic pillars must be prioritized to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation and elevate legislative diplomacy in service of Vietnam’s development goals for the next term, according to Phan Kien Cuong, economic arbitrator in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Vienna, and Deputy Director of the Consultancy Center for Economic and Commercial Development of Vietnam (VICENDETI).
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In a world geopolitically marked by rapid and complex changes, the role of the National Assembly is no longer limited to its traditional legislative functions, but also asserts itself as a strategic extension of national foreign policy, stated Phan Kien Cuong.
According to Phan Kien Cuong, four strategic pillars must be prioritized to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation and elevate legislative diplomacy in service of Vietnam’s development goals for the next term.
Firstly, the XVIth legislature of the National Assembly of Vietnam must continue to enhance its position within organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, or the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, by actively proposing structuring legal frameworks.
Secondly, the most effective legislative diplomacy lies in the concrete implementation of international commitments. In the upcoming term, the legislative body should prioritize revising and integrating into domestic law international standards arising from new generation trade agreements such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Thirdly, strengthening “thematic diplomacy” between specialized committees of the National Assembly is an essential lever. Promoting more substantive cooperation by establishing direct links between Vietnamese committees – especially those dealing with economic, legal, and scientific affairs – and their counterparts in parliaments of developing countries, particularly within the European Union, will accelerate Vietnam’s institutional framework and better support sustainable development goals set by the Party.
Finally, enhancing the mechanism for supervising the implementation of international agreements constitutes the fourth strategic pillar. This approach ensures that international cooperation resources are allocated in a targeted manner, promoting economic development at the local and national levels, while allowing for timely political feedback to adjust foreign relations in the most favorable direction.
According to Phan Kien Cuong, as Vietnam aims to become a high-income developed country in a new era, parliamentary diplomacy must play an institutional pioneering role. An innovative, streamlined, and deeply integrated XVIth legislature of the National Assembly on the international stage will be a key lever to accompany Vietnam’s rise on the global stage.
VNA/CVN
