AIPA General Assembly opens in Vientiane
The 35th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly kicked off in Vientiane today in the final phase of preparations for the establishment of the Asean Community in 2015.
President of the Lao National Assembly and President of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Ms Pany Yathotou addressed the opening ceremony of the AIPA General Assembly meeting before the welcome speech by Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong.
The opening of the 35th AIPA meeting witnessed various cultural performances and was followed by the first plenary session where the leaders of 10 AIPA member delegations delivered the significance of the AIPA meeting in Laos and what more needs to be done in order to enhance the AIPA cooperation in the advent of the Asean Community in 2015.
Deputy Secretary-General of the Asean and leaders of observer delegations from Australia, Belarus, China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea also delivered their statements at the meeting.
Over 300 delegates from AIPA member countries, development partners and other invited guests attended the 35th AIPA General Assembly which runs under the theme “Strengthening Parliamentary Cooperation in the Asean Community Building”.
During the AIPA meeting, participants will continue to discuss their efforts to enhance cooperation on the basis of the parliaments’ role as representatives of people in the Asean community building process.
The AIPA member countries will also strengthen their cooperation with development partners towards ensuring benefits for respective countries which will in turn contribute to the promotion of peace, stability and sustainable development in the region and the world as a whole.
AIPA is an inter-parliamentary cooperation platform of Asean with the aim of supporting and contributing to the overall goals of Asean, in accordance with the legislative and representative mandates of the respective member parliaments.
Throughout the 37 years since its establishment, AIPA, formerly known as AIPO, has contributed significantly to the development processes of Asean, and at the same time has continuously developed its roles to meet the needs of the people and the general trends of development in the new era.
Source: Vientiane Times
Published September 16, 2014
