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 Center for Economic and Commercial Development Advisory of Vietnam (VICENDETI).
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Nguyen Trong Khiem, 100 years old, votes at polling station No. 16, in residential group No. 40, Yen Hoa district.
In a global geopolitical context 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, Cuong said.
According to Pham 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 16th legislature of the National Assembly of Vietnam must continue to enhance its position within organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and 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 next term, the legislative body should give priority to revising and integrating into domestic law international standards from new-generation trade agreements like the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Establishing a legal system compliant with the highest international standards will not only preserve national interests but also affirm the transparency and reliability of the country’s investment environment.
Thirdly, enhancing “thematic diplomacy” between specialized committees of the National Assembly is an essential lever. Promoting more substantial cooperation by establishing direct links between Vietnamese committees – especially those in charge of economic, legal, and scientific affairs – and their counterparts in parliaments of developing countries, particularly within the EU, will accelerate the development of Vietnam’s institutional framework and support sustainable development goals defined by the Party.
Lastly, strengthening the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of international agreements is the fourth strategic pillar. Elevating parliamentary diplomacy also involves the effective exercise, by the National Assembly, of its supreme control function over the application of treaties and international agreements concluded by the government. This ensures that resources from international cooperation are allocated in a targeted manner, promoting economic development at local and national levels, while allowing timely political feedback to adjust external relations in the most favorable direction.
As Vietnam aspires to become a high-income country in a new era, parliamentary diplomacy must play an institutional precursor role. An innovative, streamlined, and deeply integrated 16th 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]
