Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly of Vietnam shared its experience in responding to negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining its operation during the Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF)’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee on May 31.

The virtual meeting was attended by Chairwoman of the APF’s Vietnam Sub-Committee Nguyen Thuy Anh, who is also APF Vice President for the 2019-2021 tenure, from Hanoi.

The event also saw the participation of about 30 delegates, including parliamentarians from APF members, representatives of the APF and international organisations. It was chaired by Joel Godin, Chairman of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

During the event, the Vietnam Sub-Committee shared how the NA has worked together with the government to fulfil the twin goals of combating COVID-19 and sustaining positive economic growth.

It later informed attendees on the success of Vietnam’s elections of deputies to the 15th NA and People’s Councils at all levels and how preventive measures against the coronavirus were put in place to ensure voters’ safety.

It also presented how Vietnam has deployed technologies in fighting the pandemic, particularly the use of Bluezone, a mobile app developed by State-owned military group Viettel to trace users in close contact with people infected with COVID-19 and alert them about the risk of infection.  

The meeting also saw delegates exchanging ways to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation and discussing the building of reports on various topics, such as maintaining parliamentary operation amid COVID-19, contact-tracing apps, enhancing relations between political institutions and people through parliamentary affairs.

The 18th Francophonie Summit will be held in Tunisia’s Djerba in November 2021.

The APF comprises 88 parliaments (sub-committees) from all over the world.

Vietnam became a APF member in 1991. The country served as APF President for Asia-Pacific for the 2015-2017 tenure and a member of the executive council of the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians for the 2017-2019 tenure./.