Pakistan Friendship Parliamentary Group aims to deepen parliamentary relations with Vietnam
WVR - On January 20, at the National Assembly House of Pakistan, Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan attended the meeting of the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group chaired by Ms. Saba Sadiq, Chairwoman of the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group.
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| Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan and delegates attending the meeting of the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan) |
The meeting was attended by all the parliamentarians of the Group representing various regions of Pakistan, with representatives from the Pakistani Embassy in Hanoi joining online.
In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Saba Sadiq affirmed that Pakistan highly values its relationship with Vietnam; she emphasized that enhancing inter-parliamentary cooperation is an effective diplomatic channel between the two countries to boost trade, people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges, and mutual understanding. Ms. Saba Sadiq appreciated Vietnam's humanitarian support during the 2022 floods and expressed a desire for deeper parliamentary relations with Vietnam through the Friendship Group in the Vietnamese National Assembly to establish a regular parliamentary cooperation mechanism.
Members of the Friendship Parliamentary Group shared their views on cooperation in specific fields, including textiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, Halal products, and tourism; they emphasized strengthening mutual cooperation between businesses of the two countries, encouraging joint ventures, and facilitating visits to further promote trade and tourism exchanges.
The members invited the Vietnamese side to explore cooperation in cultural and heritage fields, particularly through visits to Taxila and exploring Pakistan's rich Gandhara civilization; they highlighted the necessity of increasing delegation exchanges and cultural interactions to deepen people-to-people exchanges and promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.
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| The Ambassador proposed three priorities in cooperation and suggested that the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group enhance cooperation with the Embassy. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan) |
Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan emphasized that the Vietnamese National Assembly considers parliamentary cooperation an important channel complementing the relationship between the two states. He also shared insights about the Vietnamese parliamentary system and compared it with Pakistan's bicameral model to enhance mutual understanding. The Ambassador informed the delegates about the ongoing 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi, as well as the positive developments in Vietnam-Pakistan relations in 2025, highlighting the significant outcomes of the Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade's visit to Pakistan and the initiation of negotiations for the Vietnam-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement; the inauguration of Vietnam's first Honorary Consulate Office in Lahore, and the expansion of cooperation into digital technology, renewable energy, Halal industry, and culture, as well as the official operation of the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group.
Economically, Vietnam's exports to Pakistan increased by 19% to reach 622 million USD, while imports from Pakistan amounted to 203 million USD, indicating significant potential to boost items such as cotton, leather, and pharmaceuticals. The Ambassador also acknowledged 82 Pakistani investment projects in Vietnam and appreciated Pakistan's assistance in resolving the congestion of Vietnamese goods at Karachi port.
The Ambassador proposed three cooperation priorities and suggested that the Pakistan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group enhance cooperation with the Embassy to promote several initiatives in 2026: completing the Vietnam-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement (VPPTA); promoting sectoral cooperation in textiles and tourism, and enhancing parliamentary and cultural exchanges, including translating Ho Chi Minh's poetry into Urdu and Pakistani literature into Vietnamese. Pakistani parliamentarians also expressed a desire to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, particularly through the establishment of direct flights between the two countries.
The meeting affirmed a shared determination to advance Vietnam-Pakistan relations more robustly in parliamentary, economic, and cultural fields, while opening up prospects for comprehensive and sustainable cooperation in the future.
