Addressing the opening ceremony of the 27^th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) General Assembly in Cebu, the Philippines on September 11, Mr Trong said AIPO is facing challenges of renewing its organisation and operations and relevant themes proposed by the AIPO Executive Committee should be discussed specifically at the General Assembly. To substantiate AIPO activities, he said AIPO resolutions should be materialised into reality to meet the requirements of each member country.

Mr Trong noted that since its admission in 1995, Vietnam has actively engaged in various activities and made specific and practical contribution to building the AIPO into an organisation with effective operations and closer links.

He affirmed that Vietnam will work harder to fulfil its responsibility and obligations as a member country to the regional parliamentary organisation.

In his opening speech, Jose de Venecia, Speaker of the Filipino House of Representatives and President of the 27^th AIPO General Assembly, stressed that AIPO will continue to be an organisation representing people’s interests for the sake of cooperation and development of each member country in Southeast Asia.  

He spoke on a broad range of initiatives and urged cooperation between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to bolster regional efforts to counter terrorism.

He said the creation of the Standby ASEAN Disaster Relief Fund would help finance the relief, rescue and reconstruction efforts in the wake of natural disasters in the region.

Filipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed the delegates in a video-taped message where she stressed ASEAN’s central role “to peace and order, political and social stability and a growing economy in each of our respective countries.”

She said during the Philippine leadership of the 12^th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit, Manila will seek closer cooperation among member nations in energy, security, counter-terrorism, the welfare and protection of migrant workers, and the formation of an ASEAN Charter.

Delegates praised the host’s initiatives and topics for discussions focusing on counter-terrorism, economic development, poverty reduction, natural disaster mitigation and disease prevention. They agreed to boost cooperation in all areas for stability, development and prosperity in the region.  

The 27^th AIPO General Assembly brings together parliamentary leaders from eight AIPO member countries (namely Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia Singapore and the Philippines) and representatives from observers such as Brunei, Myanmar, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the European Parliament.