National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Speaker of the South African National Assembly Max Vuyisile Sisulu  

Vietnam and South Africa should build mechanisms for greater legislative co-ordination and sign co-operative agreements between the two national assemblies.

This statement was made by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung at his talks with Speaker of the South African National Assembly Max Vuyisile Sisulu, in Hanoi on November 17.

“This will be a basis for the two NAs to promote bilateral co-operative activities including support at international forums, and ensure supervision, accelerate co-operation programmes and projects between the two governments,” NA Chairman Hung affirmed.

Chairman Hung said he believes the first and current visit to Vietnam by Speaker Max Vuyisile Sisulu will be a new step of development in friendship and bilateral co-operation between the two NAs.

The NAs need to enhance co-operative programmes and expand people-to-people diplomatic activities, he said, adding that the two countries have to look to becoming mutual trust partners.

South Africa should help Vietnam expand relations with African countries and Vietnam will create favourable condition for South Africa to increase ties with ASEAN countries, the NA Chairman said.

For his part, Speaker Max Vuyisile Sisulu shared Hung’s view on proposals to increase co-ordination between the NAs at international forums.

He said he wants the two sides to accelerate the establishment of a South Africa-Vietnam friendship association, helping to increase experience sharing and co-operation between the two NAs and governments in the fields of budget management, trade and clean energy technology.

The Speaker proposed the two NAs set up negotiation groups to speed up signing of co-operative agreements and affirmed his country will support Vietnamese investors to invest in South Africa.

He said it was his wish that the two countries co-operate in security, defence and diplomacy.

At the talks, the two sides discussed political, diplomatic and socio-economic activities of each country and agreed to do their utmost to foster solidarity, co-operation and mutual understanding between the two nations, plus increase linkages between the two NAs at bilateral and international forums.

Speaker Max Vuyisile Sisulu took the opportunity to invite Chairman Hung and the Vietnamese NA delegation to visit South Africa. Chairman Hung accepted the invitation with pleasure and said that the visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels.

The Speaker also invited Vietnam to attend the centennial of the ANC Party in 2012. Next year, the National Assembly of South Africa will also organise a number of activities occasioned by the international conference on global climate change held in the country. The Speaker said he wants to welcome the Vietnamese National Assembly to attend the event.

Also on November 17, President Truong Tan Sang hosted a reception for Speaker of the South African National Assembly Max Sisulu.

President Sang welcomed Speaker Max Sisulu’s visit to Vietnam, describing it as a new milestone in developing relations between the two legislatures.

The president expressed his wish that South Africa would support Vietnam’s bid to run for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term and the UN Economic and Social Council for the 2016-2018 term as well as a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

Speaker Max Sisulu informed his host of the results of the earlier talks with the Vietnamese national assembly. During the talks, the two sides pledged to support each other at international forums and co-operate in coping with global issues, such as climate change.

On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met Speaker Max Vuyisile Sisulu, urging South African businesses to seek opportunities for long-term co-operation and investment in Vietnam which will contribute to building and boosting Vietnam-South Africa relations.