The Vietnamese delegation’s attendance at the event comes following an invitation made by Speaker of the Legislative Council of Brunei Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman Taib.
As part of his welcoming speech at the occasion, Speaker Taib, president of AIPA, expressed his satisfaction over the spirit of friendship and co-operation that allows the meeting to be conducted in an online format through utilising technology to bring all parties together.
He congratulated the nation for successfully hosting AIPA 41 via an online format in 2020, thereby paving the way for Brunei to organise this year’s AIPA in this format.
Amid the joint COVID-19 containment efforts taking place as the region strives to recover from the pandemic, the Bruneian speaker emphasised that it is time for countries to ensure an inclusive digital transformation. This should be done in order to strengthen resilience and better prepare the current generation and for the "post-pandemic" future, he said.
In his opening speech, the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah said with the theme of "Forging Parliamentary Cooperation in Digital Inclusion towards ASEAN Community 2025", this year’s occasion once again affirms the commitment of ASEAN member parliaments. Indeed, it highlights their efforts to make the ASEAN Community a leading economic region, use the AIPA to raise awareness, boost community integration, and put forth a range of policies and laws in the bloc, said Sultan Bolkiah. In addition, he emphasised ASEAN's efforts to ensure that both today’s and tomorrow's generations enjoy sustainable development and prosperity.
ASEAN will continue to respond quickly to abnormal events, along with preparing for community development. The AIPA will therefore go ahead with the process of parliamentary cohesion, making the ASEAN Community increasingly cohesive moving forward, he said.
The Sultan of Brunei believes that AIPA and ASEAN will work closely in the near future to cope with challenges, expressing hope that member parliaments will continue to enhance mutual understanding to create a strong and harmonious community.
According to the agenda, the first plenary session will primarily focus on several important issues. As planned on the afternoon, NA Chairman Hue will deliver a key-note speech, with the focal point of the speech being on assessing the situation in the region and throughout the wider, highlighting the role of multilateral co-operation, solidarity and unity of ASEAN.
The speech will serve to affirm Vietnamese efforts in COVID-19 prevention and control, along with its stance on vaccine cooperation. It will also help to make recommendations to strengthen the parliamentary role in urging various ASEAN governments to implement inclusive digital assurance schemes.
