Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation departed from Hanoi on early April 11 morning to attend the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-152) in Istanbul and conduct a number of bilateral activities in Türkiye, and pay an official visit to Italy from April 11-17.
The trip is made at the invitation of IPU President Tulia Ackson and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.
This is NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s first official overseas trip following the 14th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 16th NA and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, and the consolidation of the state apparatus of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the new term.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man and delegates pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 5, 2025. Photo: VNA
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man and delegates pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 5, 2025. Photo: VNA
Cooperation for peace and development
Founded in 1889 in Paris and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is an international organisation bringing together the parliaments of sovereign states. With 181 members and 15 associate members, the IPU is the centre of parliamentary diplomacy worldwide, working to promote peace, democracy and cooperation among peoples and parliaments. The IPU operates on the basis of its statutes, as well as regulations governing the activities of the Governing Council, Executive Committee, Assembly, Standing Committees and its financial rules.
Since being admitted as a member of the IPU in April 1979, Viet Nam’s NA has been an active and responsible member of the forum. Viet Nam’s NA has served as Chair of the Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Group within the framework of the IPU Assembly in 2006 and 2016. In November 2021, Viet Nam assumed the role of Chair of the ASEAN+3 Group, taking over from Thailand. Representatives of Viet Nam’s NA have twice been elected by the IPU Assembly to the IPU Executive Committee for four-year terms, from 2007 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2019.
Through its participation in the Executive Committee and with its election as an IPU Vice-President in 2009 and 2019, Viet Nam has been able to contribute more directly and substantively to IPU activities, helping advance the organisation’s agenda for peace, cooperation and sustainable development. Viet Nam’s NA has hosted and chaired a number of IPU activities, most notably the 132nd IPU Assembly in Ha Noi from March 28 to April 2, 2015, which left a distinctive mark with the Ha Noi Declaration on promoting parliamentary action in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in September 2023; and other regional thematic conferences.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man addresses the general debate at the 150th Assembly of the IPU in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 6, 2025. Photo: VNA
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man addresses the general debate at the 150th Assembly of the IPU in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 6, 2025. Photo: VNA
Viet Nam’s NA has also contributed to strengthening inter-parliamentary partnerships and multilateral parliamentary diplomacy by inviting the IPU President and Secretary General to attend and address other parliamentary conferences organised by the NA of Viet Nam, such as the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Ha Noi in January 2018, the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) held online from Ha Noi in August 2020, and the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in September 2023.
Every year, Viet Nam’s NA sends delegations to attend IPU Assemblies, related conferences and important IPU meetings mechanisms such as the IPU Parliamentary Hearings at the UN, regional thematic conferences and specialised conferences, as well as training activities for parliamentary secretariats organised by the IPU Secretariat. The Chairman of the NA has attended the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, held every five years since 2000. In 2025, Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man attended the 150th IPU Assembly (IPU-150) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland. On December 29, 2025, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong paid a visit to Viet Nam.
Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man meets IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong on the sidelines of the 150th IPU Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April 2025. (Photo: VNA)
Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man meets IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong on the sidelines of the 150th IPU Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April 2025. (Photo: VNA)
As the world’s largest multilateral parliamentary cooperation mechanism, with prestige, influence and an important role in promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation and contributing to strengthening multilateralism, the 152nd IPU Assembly (IPU-152) has the main theme: “Nurturing hope, securing peace and ensuring justice for future generations”. This reflects the current top concerns of the international community regarding the consolidation of peace, security and the international legal system, post-conflict reconstruction, and the fight against protectionism. These are also fundamental foundations and prerequisites for addressing common challenges and shaping a sustainable future.
The working visit of Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man to attend IPU-152 in Türkiye aims to continue affirming Viet Nam’s position, role and active, substantive and responsible contributions to the IPU and within the IPU-152 framework; to affirm support for multilateralism and multilateral institutions; and to promote bilateral relations with countries and IPU member parliaments for the common effort to strengthen peace, cooperation and development.
The 152nd IPU Assembly (IPU-152) will take place from April 15 to 19, 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The 152nd IPU Assembly (IPU-152) will take place from April 15 to 19, 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
This working visit by Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man carries important significance at both multilateral and bilateral levels, affirming the active contributions of Viet Nam’s NA, which has always taken the lead, promoted cooperation within the IPU framework; actively proposed initiatives and made substantive contributions to IPU activities, and stood ready to work with member parliaments and the IPU to implement its resolutions and initiatives, contributing to the maintenance of peace and the promotion of sustainable development for the benefit of peoples worldwide.
In addition, Viet Nam’s NA has participated in many IPU leadership and management mechanisms, earning high trust from member parliaments for its leadership and guiding capacity. These are important foundations for Viet Nam’s NA to continue enhancing its role and contributions with a new mindset and position at IPU-152.
Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man and delegates attend the opening ceremony of IPU-150. (Photo: VNA)
Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man and delegates attend the opening ceremony of IPU-150. (Photo: VNA)
Viet Nam’s NA has participated in many IPU leadership and management mechanisms, earning high trust from member parliaments for its leadership and guiding capacity.
The Chairman of the NA is expected to deliver an important speech, sharing Viet Nam’s vision on global and regional issues, and proposing concrete action plans to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and promoting sustainable and prosperous development worldwide. In addition, Viet Nam’s NA will work with other parliaments to discuss roadmaps to enhance legislative effectiveness, supervision and promotion of multilateral cooperation to realise common goals.
Within the framework of the conference, the Chairman of the NA is also expected to hold meetings and exchanges with parliamentary leaders of various countries, IPU leaders and representatives of international organisations. Through these engagements, he will highlight Viet Nam’s socio-economic development achievements after 40 years of reform, as well as its vision and aspirations for development in the new era, aiming to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed country with high income by 2045; and convey to the international community the message about the foreign policy guidelines set out at the 14th National Party Congress.
Türkiye – a bridge between Viet Nam and the Middle East and Europe
Türkiye occupies a strategically important position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, serving as a bridge for economic, political and cultural exchange between these regions. Since establishing diplomatic relations on June 7, 1978, Viet Nam and Türkiye have cultivated friendship and multifaceted cooperation across political, economic and trade fields.
Viet Nam and Türkiye share many aligned interests, providing a strong foundation for expanding cooperation across sectors. The two sides have agreed to pursue concrete measures to strengthen cooperation and to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement in the near future.
LE HOAI TRUNG,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The two sides maintain regular exchanges of delegations at various levels. They have established important cooperation mechanisms, including a Joint Committee and political consultations at the deputy foreign minister level.
Relations through Party and local channels have been strengthened. At the parliamentary level, both sides have established the Viet Nam-Türkiye Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Viet Nam-Türkiye Friendship and Cooperation Association.
Türkiye is one of Viet Nam’s leading trading partners in the Middle East and serves as a gateway for Viet Nam’s exports to the region and Southern Europe, with bilateral trade totalling nearly 2.3 billion USD in 2025.
Türkiye is also the second-largest investor from the Middle East in Viet Nam. As of December 2025, it had 49 active investment projects with total registered capital of nearly 1.8 billion USD.
The global Halal market is estimated to be worth more than 2.5 trillion USD and is expanding rapidly. This presents a major opportunity for Viet Nam and Türkiye to explore and expand cooperation in trade, investment and services.
Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency
Demand for Halal food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and tourism is growing rapidly. In recent years, Viet Nam and Türkiye have made significant progress in advancing cooperation in the Halal sector.
Yunus Ete, President of the World Halal Summit Council
HALCERT has supported many Vietnamese enterprises in exporting to markets such as Japan and Malaysia. This model can be expanded to meet Türkiye’s needs. Beyond Halal certification, HALCERT facilitates business-to-business connections between Vietnamese and Turkish enterprises, thereby strengthening bilateral economic ties.
Ramlan Osman, Director of the National Halal Certification Centre (HALCERT)
The Viet Nam pavilion at the Halal Expo 2025, held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in November 2025. (Photo: The World and Viet Nam Report)
The Viet Nam pavilion at the Halal Expo 2025, held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in November 2025. (Photo: The World and Viet Nam Report)
Viet Nam - a leading key partner of Italy in Southeast Asia
Since establishing a Strategic Partnership in January 2013, Viet Nam and Italy have actively promoted substantive and effective cooperation across all major fields, including politics, diplomacy, economy, science, education, defence-security, environmental protection, and sub-national connectivity. In 2023, the two countries marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 10 years of implementing the Strategic Partnership framework.
Both sides have effectively maintained bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the annual Strategic Dialogue at Deputy Foreign Minister level (6th session in January 2025), the Defence Policy Dialogue at Deputy Minister level (5th session in July 2025), the Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation (9th session in January 2025, with the 10th session scheduled for April 13–15, 2026), and the Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (8th session in May 2024). Italy is Viet Nam’s third-largest trading partner in the EU (after Germany and the Netherlands), while Viet Nam is Italy’s largest trading partner within ASEAN.
The visit by NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man to Italy provides an opportunity for both sides to realise the Joint Statement of the two countries’ senior leaders on strengthening the Viet Nam–Italy Strategic Partnership, as well as the Action Plan for bilateral cooperation in the coming period. The visit is expected to deepen the Strategic Partnership in a more substantive, practical and effective manner across all areas.
DANG HOANG GIANG
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Italy has been identified as one of the most promising markets for Viet Nam’s tourism sector. Viet Nam can further strengthen cooperation in organising conferences and thematic seminars on tourism development, management and culture. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam has signed the Viet Nam - Italy Cultural Cooperation Programme for the 2023–2026 period; invited Italy to send delegations to participate in several regularly held international cultural events in Viet Nam such as the Hue Festival, the Hanoi International Film Festival, and the International Puppetry Festival. The two sides have also signed an Education Cooperation Action Programme for the 2019–2022 period, focusing primarily on language development cooperation, with the Italian side providing teaching aids and scholarships; encouraging collaboration between universities and educational institutions; and supporting projects to enhance training and research capacity at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Viet Nam and Italy established the Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in November 1998 and have held eight sessions to date. At the 8th session, held in Rome, Italy, in May 2024, both sides identified priority areas for cooperation in the coming period, including agricultural and food sciences, climate change and sustainable development, information society, space science and Earth observation, and technologies for the conservation and restoration of cultural and natural heritage.
Italian friends show keen interest in exploring Vietnamese calligraphy art during the Festival of Nations, held in Borgomanero district in the Piemonte region of Italy in May 2023. Photo: VNA
Italian friends show keen interest in exploring Vietnamese calligraphy art during the Festival of Nations, held in Borgomanero district in the Piemonte region of Italy in May 2023. Photo: VNA
Cooperation between localities of Viet Nam and Italy has become increasingly dynamic and closely connected. Notable twinning relationships include Ha Noi with the Lazio region, Binh Duong province with the Emilia-Romagna region, Ho Chi Minh City with the city of Torino, Vinh Phuc province with the Tuscany region, Ba Ria–Vung Tau province with the Veneto region, and Quang Ngai province with the city of Lazio.
Binh Duong and Vinh Phuc stand out as examples of effective trade and investment cooperation with Italian partners, with regular annual review and investment promotion activities. Binh Duong currently hosts eight investment projects by Italian enterprises with a total capital of nearly 64 million USD, spanning manufacturing, footwear accessories, fashion bags, consumer goods, and food production. Among the 17 out of 63 provinces and cities receiving Italian investment, Vinh Phuc ranks first, with major projects by Piaggio totalling registered capital of 165 million USD.
There are currently around 5,500 Vietnamese nationals living and working in Italy. They act as bridges of friendship, contributing to the steadily advancing cooperation between the two countries.
As the head of a business which has invested in Viet Nam since 2005, I am deeply impressed and delighted by Viet Nam’s reforms and breakthroughs in the business environment—investment attraction in particular—and the economy in general, as well as Viet Nam’s promising development prospects. I believe that, given the strong foundations of bilateral relations and the Vietnamese Government’s supportive policies, the two sides could significantly enhance economic cooperation, business connectivity, and technology transfer. Assolombarda remains committed to strengthening ties between the two business communities.
Veronica Squinzi, Vice President of Assolombarda (Italia)
Piaggio Vietnam Co., Ltd. at Binh Xuyen Industrial Park is a prime example of an Italian-invested enterprise in Viet Nam. (Photo: VNA)
Piaggio Vietnam Co., Ltd. at Binh Xuyen Industrial Park is a prime example of an Italian-invested enterprise in Viet Nam. (Photo: VNA)
Italy and Türkiye are both Viet Nam’s long-standing traditional and important partners in Europe and the Middle East. In recent years, their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have grown steadily closer and more effective, producing tangible results. Political trust continues to deepen. Viet Nam, Italy, and Türkiye have sustained regular high-level visits and exchanges while making full use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms. At multilateral forums and parliamentary platforms, the three sides have coordinated closely, frequently supporting one another and aligning on numerous global and regional issues of shared interest.
Dang Hoang Giang,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
With Viet Nam’s consistent policy of valuing and consolidating relations with important partners in a deeper and more effective manner, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s working trip to Türkiye and Italy will contribute to promoting cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Italian Parliament and legislative body of Türkiye, further advancing the Viet Nam–Italy Strategic Partnership towards a comprehensive strategic partnership, while contributing to enhancing Viet Nam–Türkiye relations across multiple areas, for the benefit of the Vietnamese people and the peoples of Italy and Türkiye, as well as for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world at large.
Published: April 2026
Production Managers: MINH DUC – TRUONG SON
Content: HONG CAM
Translation: NDO
Design: TRUNG HUNG
Sources of information: MOFA, VNA