Global gathering helps to forge parliamentary ties   A performance is held for IPU-132 delegates in the capital. - VNA Photo US House Minority Leader US House Minority Leader HA NOI - Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has called for the US to continue its support in dealing with the consequences of war, especially Agent Orange victims, bomb and mine clearance, and sharing information on Vietnamese soldiers and officers missing in action. The Party chief said this was important for deepening trust between the two sides. He was speaking at a reception for Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and accompanying congressmen in Ha Noi yesterday. Pelosi said she was happy to visit when the two countries were celebrating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. She said it was good to see the impressive developments made by Viet Nam as well as the country's growing position on the regional and global stages. Pelosi said Republicans and Democrats in the US congress all backed the US administration's policy of bolstering ties with Viet Nam and stepping up the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership. She said she believed the two countries had much to do to develop relations, especially when the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement takes effect. The Party leader described Pelosi's visit as significant to elevating the two countries' relations. He said co-operation in economic matters, education, healthcare, science and technology had generated practical benefits for Vietnamese and American people and contributed to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. State President Truong Tan Sang later also asked the visitors to provide greater support to promote the comprehensive partnership. This should focus on exchanging high-level visits; accelerating economic, trade and investment co-operation; concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations early; opening the door to Vietnamese goods; and addressing the consequences of war, he said. The State President said he was delighted at the progress made in relations across politics and diplomacy; economy, trade and investment, science and technology, security and defence, culture and education, and humanitarian collaboration since the Comprehensive Partnership was established in July, 2013. Pelosi said she was impressed by Viet Nam's accomplishments and confirmed her delegation's backing for strengthened ties. According to her, the two countries have yet to fully tap their development potential and now is the time for both to further their comprehensive partnership. Pelosi and the other congressmen exchanged views with the President on the Asia-Pacific context as well as TPP negotiations and related matters in labourers' rights, the environment, the role of women - and food security and safety. NA Chairman meets EP leader National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung praised the role of the European Parliament (EP) in enhancing the partnership between Viet Nam and the European Community (EU) while meeting Dimitrios Papadimoulis, EP Vice President yesterday. The EP Vice President is visiting Ha Noi for the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU-132). Chairman Hung said he was glad with positive, fast, and strong developments in relations between Viet Nam and the EU general and with individual EU members during the past 25 years. He said Viet Nam's National Assembly was willing to share information and converse with the EP on issues of shared interest. Papadimoulis said that the EP was ready to work with the NA across sectors and would make maximum efforts for the early implementation of the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement. He said he hoped the NA and the EP would exchange delegations frequently to further boost parliamentary relations. Chile ties Viet Nam appreciated the developing friendship with Latin American countries, including those with Chile, said National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Ngan was speaking during a reception in Ha Noi yesterday for Vice President of the Lower House of the National Congress of Chile, Denise Pascal Allende, who is in Viet Nam for the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132). She suggested the two legislatures promote measures to enhance the comprehensive partnership. She said bilateral relations had expanded in recent years, adding that the links between the two countries' legislative bodies had yielded positive results. Economic and trade co-operation developed strongly, especially after Viet Nam and Chile signed a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. She urged the two governments to support each other at multilateral forums, such as the United Nations, IPU and Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), adding that Viet Nam hoped Chile would support Viet Nam's candidacy to the UN Security Council (2020-2021) and the UN Economic and Social Council (2016-2018). Allende said she hoped Viet Nam and Chile would further promote their co-operation, especially in economics, politics, culture and agriculture. Delegate receptions National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu held separate receptions for Vice President of the Palestine National Council, Taysir Quba's, and Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian Parliament, Dimitar Glavachev, in Ha Noi yesterday. Both are visiting Viet Nam for the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly. Meeting Quba's, Luu assured him that the NA was willing to boost co-operation with the Palestinian legislature, both bilaterally and multilaterally. He wished the legislatures would work supportively at IPU forums on global issues of shared concern. Quba's expressed his hope that both countries would deepen bilateral ties, especially in business and investment. At a reception for Glavachev, Luu told his guest that the two governments had agreed to launch a new economic co-operation model in an effort to deepen bilateral ties towards strategic partnership. He thanked the Bulgarian government for its support of Vietnamese in his country, saying they had been a crucial factor in the strengthening of bilateral friendship and trade ties. Glavachev recalled that a number of Vietnamese officials and engineers had trained in Bulgaria during the past 65 years, many of whom held key positions in the State and socio-economic sectors. He pledged to do his best to foster the relationship between the two countries. Bulgaria continually welcomed Vietnamese investors, the guest said, adding that he hoped the Vietnamese Government would offer additional support to Bulgarian investors in Viet Nam. Party officials meet Party officials received Russian and Japanese delegates in Viet Nam for the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) Assembly yesterday. Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee's Organisation Commission, To Huy Rua, held a reception for a Japanese delegation led by member of the House of Representatives Shunichi Suzuki . Meanwhile, Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations, Hoang Binh Quan, met Andrey Klishas, member of the Russian Federation Council , who expressed his strong impressions of this year's IPU. Quan praised the significant contributions of the Russian delegation to the IPU's success, adding that the engagement would enhance trans-parliamentary affiliation and strategic co-operation. Norwegian, Italian envoys Meeting the Vice-President of the Norwegian parliament, Kenneth Svendsen, in Ha Noi yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh thanked Norway for its official development assistance, mostly in responses to climate change and for improvements in the environment and education. He asked the parliament to support Norwegian investors interested in Viet Nam, especially those in shipbuilding, maritime affairs, energy, and seafood. Svendsen said the Norwegian parliament would do its best to re-inforce its friendship with the Vietnamese legislature. He said he was impressed by Viet Nam's socio-economic progress, including the realisation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule. Both sides committed to accelerating negotiations towards the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association and to work collaboratively at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially the United Nations. In a separate reception for the Chairperson of the Italian Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Pier Ferdinando Casini, Minh asked for stronger efforts to further develop the Viet Nam-Italy strategic partnership, initially by designing an action plan to tap their trade and investment potential. Minh asked the Italian parliament to back the expansion of ties between Viet Nam and the European Union and step up the approval of the Viet Nam-EU Partnership and Co-operation Agreement towards signing the Viet Nam-EU FTA. Casini said the Italian parliament would work on an action plan to realise the Viet Nam-Italy strategic partnership for 2015-2016. He told his host that the Italian business community was satisfied with the Vietnamese business climate and looked forward to expanding operations in Viet Nam. He said the Italian parliament supported measures to lift trade and multifaceted ties between the two nations. - VNS