This is an opportunity for Viet Nam to continue making active and responsible contributions to the IPU’s common activities and promote cooperation with the IPU-United Nations.
It also marks the first official visit by a senior Vietnamese leader to Morocco in six years as the two countries prepare to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2026. At the same time, it is the first official visit by a senior Vietnamese leader to Senegal since 1973.
Established in 1889, the IPU plays a central role in parliamentary diplomacy worldwide, working for peace, democracy, cooperation among peoples and parliaments of nations. The World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, held every five years, provides an opportunity for parliamentary leaders to contribute to the UN’s agenda.
Since becoming an IPU member in 1979, the Vietnamese National Assembly has always participated proactively and responsibly in its forums, frequently holding leadership positions within IPU mechanisms.
The Vietnamese National Assembly’s contributions are valued by the IPU Secretariat and member states and have helped to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and promote connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s participation in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament affirms Viet Nam’s role and position within the IPU as well as regional and global parliamentary cooperation mechanisms, actively contributing to efforts to strengthen multilateralism, international cooperation, and solidarity.
Through its participation in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, Viet Nam maintains and promotes relations with countries and IPU member parliaments.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971, the friendly and cooperative relations between Viet Nam and Switzerland have developed in a positive manner.
In terms of politics and diplomacy, both countries maintain delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, and coordinate closely at multilateral forums and international organisations.
During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s working trip to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) and visit Switzerland, both countries upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive partnership. Economically, Switzerland is an important partner for Viet Nam in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching 811 million USD in 2024.
Cooperation between the two parliaments continues to develop well, with the most recent notable milestone being the official visit to Viet Nam by Swiss National Council President Martin Candinas in June 2023.
Both sides have affirmed their efforts to elevate bilateral relations to a new level, bringing benefits to the peoples of both countries, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world at large. Both sides regularly consult and support each other at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the IPU and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF).
Viet Nam and Morocco established diplomatic relations in 1961, and have recorded numerous cooperative successes across various fields. Both sides actively support each other at multilateral forums, particularly at the UN and IPU.
Economic cooperation focuses on trade, with bilateral turnover growing steadily from 169.2 million USD in 2017 to over 300 million USD in 2024, with Viet Nam exporting over 290 million USD worth of goods — mainly electronics, coffee, cashew nuts, and textiles — and importing animal feed and fertilisers.
Cooperation between the two countries’ parliaments has developed well. With support from the Vietnamese National Assembly in its role as Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020, the Moroccan parliament was admitted as an AIPA observer in September 2020.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1969, the friendly Viet Nam-Senegal relationship has been well maintained. Trade between the two countries has increased positively, reaching 81.16 million USD in 2024, with Viet Nam exporting 43.91 million USD. In the first four months of 2025, Viet Nam’s exports to Senegal reached 43.3 million USD.
During the 1997-2005 period, Viet Nam sent over 100 agricultural experts and technicians to work in Senegal under the tripartite agricultural cooperation programme sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which received high praise from both the FAO and Senegal. Cooperation between the two parliaments is implemented through multilateral mechanisms such as the IPU, APF, and at multilateral conferences organised by the Vietnamese National Assembly.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s working trip represents an active implementation of Viet Nam’s independent, self-reliant foreign policy of multilateralisation, diversification, and proactive and active comprehensive and extensive international integration.
Viet Nam’s participation in the conference at the highest level demonstrates its strong commitment to multilateralism, enhancing the image and position of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese National Assembly on the world stage.
It also affirms Viet Nam’s proactive, active, and responsible role in multilateral parliamentary forums; emphasises Viet Nam’s positive and substantive contributions to the IPU and UN activities through the development and international integration process; and demonstrates the responsibility and role of Viet Nam’s legislative body in resolving global issues.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s trip to attend the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and conduct bilateral activities in Switzerland, and pay official visits to Morocco and Senegal, affirms Viet Nam’s consistent policy of always valuing and desiring to promote the Viet Nam-Switzerland Comprehensive Partnership, emphasising Viet Nam’s readiness to play a bridging role between Switzerland and ASEAN; affirming that Viet Nam always upholds friendship relations, including parliamentary cooperation, with African friendly nations, including Morocco and Senegal; and demonstrating Viet Nam’s determination to strengthen connectivity and open new chapters in the journey of cooperation with nations.
