Hanoi (VNA) - The ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) as part of the virtual 36th ASEAN Summit on June 26 was a success particularly in terms of the government – parliament connection, said Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau on the sideline of the event.

According to Giau, if there was no COVID-19 pandemic, participants of the function would have discussed more issues, including the commitments among governments in the ASEAN Community and the implementation of policies and agreements.

The interface focused on discussing COVID-19-related matters, with delegates hailing concerted efforts made by governments, parliaments and people of ASEAN member states. Such efforts have contributed to initially controlling the pandemic.

Highlighting the speech given by NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan as Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the AIPA (AIPA-41), the official said it sent the message initiated by the Vietnamese legislature and agreed by parliaments of member states.

Regarding Vietnam’s AIPA chairmanship as part of its ASEAN Chair 2020, Giau said the pandemic has changed many traditional activities, for example, face-to-face meetings replaced by online ones. Virtue meetings hosted by Vietnam are highly evaluated by ASEAN governments and law-making bodies, he noted.

Concerning the contribution of Vietnam as AIPA 41 Chair to COVID-19 prevention and control and building a strong ASEAN Community, he mentioned the NA leader’s letter that urged AIPA member parliaments to join hands in protecting ASEAN from the pandemic. The letter has received positive feedback, he added.

The interface demonstrated a sense of responsibility of Vietnam as the host country of ASEAN and AIPA in 2020 as well as the spirit of solidarity and consensus of ASEAN member countries in their joint work to overcome the pandemic and further enhance their determination of building the ASEAN Community.

At the function, the Vietnamese NA spoke highly of and agreed with positive progress recorded in the ASEAN Community, which under the chairmanship of Vietnam this year, will sustain bloc solidarity and promote ASEAN’s central role in the region. The Vietnamese NA is working to prepare the content and theme of the AIPA-41 General Assembly.

Participants of the interface hoped AIPA would continue its role as an important partner of ASEAN, boost cooperation, dialogue, and information exchange among parliaments, and coordinate in the implementation of the programme on building the ASEAN community./.