The opening session of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153) in Arusha, Tanzania, on October 5, 2026 (Photo: VNA)
Vice President of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Hong Dien held bilateral meetings with government and parliamentary leaders from Tanzania, Malaysia, Australia, Russia and Algeria on October 5 on the sidelines of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153), which is taking place in Arusha, Tanzania.
At a meeting with Tanzanian Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba, the two sides expressed their appreciation for the traditional friendship between the two countries, nurtured through the international friendship between President Ho Chi Minh and President Julius Nyerere.
Nchemba conveyed greetings and an invitation to Prime Minister Le Minh Hung to visit Tanzania, and praised the contributions of Halotel, a subsidiary of Viettel Group, to Tanzania’s socio-economic development.
The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in telecommunications, digital transformation, agriculture, irrigation, energy, mining, science and technology, and infrastructure. Dien proposed stepping up high-level delegation exchanges through Party, parliamentary and governmental channels, accelerating negotiations on agreements on investment protection and avoidance of double taxation, and facilitating Halotel’s operations in Tanzania.
At a meeting with Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives Johari bin Abdul, the two sides agreed to enhance parliamentary cooperation, strengthen ASEAN solidarity and cooperation, boost intra-bloc trade, and ensure food and energy security. They concurred to intensify exchanges among young parliamentarians, female legislators and representatives of ethnic minority groups, while strengthening cooperation in the Halal field.
During a meeting with Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick, both sides hailed the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Dick spoke highly of the outcomes of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam’s state visit to Australia in August, describing it as a strong impetus for implementing the partnership and noting the robust growth of bilateral economic and trade ties.
He said Vietnam is currently Australia’s fourth-largest education partner, with about 36,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia, and affirmed the two countries’ shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. Dick also sought Vietnam’s support for his candidacy for IPU President for the 2026-2029 term.
For his part, Dien suggested intensifying exchanges at all levels, between localities, specialised agencies, parliamentary friendship groups, and business communities.
The two sides also discussed fine-tuning the legal framework to elevate trade turnover to 20 billion USD and double investment over the next five years, while creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Australia.
The NA Vice President urged both sides to continue coordinating and supporting each other at multilateral parliamentary forums, upholding multilateralism, international law, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
At a meeting with Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia Konstantin Kosachev, the two sides spoke highly of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and legislative cooperation. They agreed to closely coordinate preparations for Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko’s visit to Vietnam in November, including the signing and implementation of cooperation agreements between parliamentary bodies and localities.
Dien affirmed that Vietnam consistently values and preserves its solidarity and traditional friendship with the former Soviet Union and Russia today, and stands ready to work closely in preparations for Matviyenko’s visit.
During a meeting with Vice President of the Council of the Nation of Algeria Mohammed Larbi Slimani, the two sides affirmed the importance they attach to traditional friendship and mutual support.
The Algerian side invited Dien to visit Algeria and agreed to promote economic and trade cooperation, support Vietnamese businesses operating and investing in Algeria, and help them access regional markets.
Dien proposed strengthening high-level exchanges and parliamentary cooperation, expanding collaboration in oil and gas, high-tech agriculture, healthcare, science and technology, and negotiating a trade agreement to create a foundation for trade and investment ties. He also asked the Algerian Council of the Nation to continue supporting the operations of Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group (PVN) in Algeria, describing oil and gas cooperation as an important pillar of bilateral ties.
NA Vice President Dien and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are attending 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153) under the theme “Enhancing good governance and empowering community through inclusivity, trust, and opportunity for all” from October 5-9.
On October 5 and 6, NA Vice President Dien attended the opening ceremony and high-level debate sessions, focusing discussions on global governance, multilateralism, parliamentary diplomacy, and the role of communities in tackling shared challenges.
On October 7, he is scheduled to deliver a speech at the General Debate of the IPU-153 Assembly and continue bilateral meetings with IPU leaders and foreign parliamentary representatives.
During the trip, NA Vice President Dien and the Vietnamese delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Tanzania and met embassy officials and Vietnamese businesses. He commended the embassy’s efforts and briefed participants on Vietnam’s socio-economic development and the shift in approach from “management” towards “development facilitation” by the new-term National Assembly.
He asked the embassy to continue consolidating political trust, advancing parliamentary diplomacy, serving as a bridge for economic, trade and investment cooperation, supporting Vietnamese businesses and safeguarding the interests of the Vietnamese community in Tanzania.
VNA
