Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi Declaration on a New Vision for Asia –Pacific Parliamentary Partnership wasapproved at the APPF-26’s final plenary session in Hanoi on January 20afternoon.

Underthe chair of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Participating APPF members also adopted amendments to APPF Rule of Procedure relating to making the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians an APPF permanent feature.

Thesession approved the selection of Cambodia as host of the 27th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-27), which isscheduled for January 2019 in Siem Reap. The Vietnam National Assembly willhand over the APPF chair position to its Cambodian counterpart in May 2018.

Fourteenresolutions were also passed at the session, including those on promotinggender equality, economic growth and free trade, and join actions on climatechange response; supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises indigital age; parliamentary diplomacy for peace, security and prosperity in theregion and in the world, among other  issues.

Atthe function, all heads of delegations signed the APPF-26 Joint Communiqué.

Speakingat the event, Mohammed Ouzzine, Vice President of the Parliament of Morocco saidthe Moroccan parliament believes that APPF comes as an important forum thatannually brings together parliamentarians from a vibrant and dynamic region,which is becoming a major economic grouping of nations on the internationallevel in terms of trade investment and sustainable development.

Inher closing speech, NA Chairwoman Ngan said the APPF is committed to continuepromoting a comprehensively connected Asia-Pacific, a trade system based onfree, equal, transparent and inclusive principles for mutual benefits of allpeople, ensuring that no one is left behind.

TheAPPF-26 proves the necessity of turning words into actions, calling on supportfrom developed countries for their developing peers in the implementation ofthe UN agenda on sustainable development toward 2030 and Paris Agreement, shenoted.

Theadoption of the Hanoi Declaration is a success of the APPF-26, Ngan stated,adding that it succeeds other APPF declarations and defines a new vision forAsia – Pacific Parliamentary partnership after 25 years of development.     

Inthe future, the APPF needs to continue refreshing its agenda and strengtheningcooperation with multilateral institutions such as APEC and other cooperativemechanisms, the top Vietnamese legislator suggested.

🐬 Duringthis process, the Vietnam National Assembly will continue working with APPF andmember parliaments to realize the vision that the APPF-26 has put forth and turnrecommendations and resolutions of the meeting into specific actions, shesaid.-VNA