Vietnam is willing to act as a bridge to promote relations between the Spanish parliament and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man told visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at their meeting in Hanoi on April 9.
Highlighting the significance of PM Sánchez's visit - the first by a head of the Spanish government since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Chairman Man expressed his confidence that it will serve as a major impetus, opening up a new chapter for the Vietnam–Spain Strategic Partnership.
The top legislator expressed his satisfaction with the strong cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Spanish parliament, reflected in regular delegation exchanges, close coordination, and joint initiatives at both regional and global parliamentary forums. He also proposed maintaining regular meetings between the Parliamentary Friendship Groups of the two countries to further strengthen legislative cooperation.
The Spanish PM agreed with NA Chairman Man’s assessment of the development of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and voiced his support for the further elevation of relations between the two nations in the near future.
Both sides concurred to effectively implement existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and enhance exchanges between high-level delegations and parliamentary committees of both countries to share information and legislative and supervision experiences. These efforts will help build mutual understanding, strengthen political trust, and create favourable conditions to boost cooperation in all areas.
They also pledged to fully and effectively implement the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to take advantage of its opportunities, and to expand cooperation in culture and sports to foster greater understanding and exchange between the people of both nations.
PM Sánchez emphasised Spain’s desire to promote cooperation in areas of its strength such as infrastructure, railway, automotive industry, and renewable energy. He also noted that the Spanish government plans to soon hold a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Spain to listen to their views and aspirations.
Chairman Man thanked Spain for ratifying the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and called on Spain to prompt other EU member states to complete the ratification process soon, contributing to fair investment cooperation and facilitating Spanish businesses operating in Vietnam. He also suggested Spain urge the European Commission to soon lift its “yellow card” imposed on Vietnam’s seafood exports.
The two leaders agreed to continue enhancing coordination at inter-parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF). They also reaffirmed their support for multilateralism and the respect for international law to address regional and global challenges, especially in the context of an increasingly complicated and rapidly changing world, including the East Sea issue./.
