Paris, July 14, 2025 – The Europe Today: Vietnam has once again demonstrated its active engagement and constructive contribution at the 50th Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), held over five days in Paris, France, with the participation of more than 550 delegates from 59 countries and territories.
According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Paris, the 2025 session held particular significance as it marked the 50th anniversary of the APF’s establishment—an important milestone in the organisation’s development and international influence.
APF President Hilarion Etong highlighted the Assembly’s historical meaning, describing it as “a moment of hope, a date of memory and a time of expectation.”
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Thanh, reaffirming Việt Nam’s position as a key member of the Francophonie community in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 1997, Chairwoman of the APF’s Vietnamese Subcommittee, Nguyễn Thuý Anh, has held high-level roles, underlining Việt Nam’s longstanding commitment.
During the plenary session on Saturday, themed “Francophonie Community, the Fulcrum of a World in Crisis”, Nguyễn Thuý Anh delivered a significant address on behalf of Việt Nam. She underscored the country’s perspectives and made concrete proposals to strengthen peace and multilateral cooperation within the Francophonie bloc.
“In the context of a complex and unpredictable global landscape—marked by geopolitical tensions, strategic competition, economic volatility, and food insecurity—this Assembly’s discussion is both timely and necessary,” Anh stated.
She reaffirmed Việt Nam’s continued support for the core values of the Francophonie: peace, democracy, cultural and linguistic diversity, solidarity, cooperation, and sustainable development. “These are also the goals that the Vietnamese State and people strive to realize through our ongoing process of comprehensive national renewal,” she added.
Việt Nam presented three key proposals aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the APF and the broader Francophonie community:
- Reform and Adaptation: Accelerate institutional reform to meet global changes and internal dynamics, boost operational efficiency, and prioritize economic cooperation among member states.
- Role of Parliaments in Peace: Strengthen the role of parliamentary diplomacy through the APF and other inter-parliamentary forums to express the will of the people and promote global peace and solidarity.
- Language and Cultural Development: Expand French-language education and professional training, support the recruitment of French-speaking personnel, and intensify people-to-people, cultural, and educational exchanges to deepen bonds among nations.
The plenary sessions saw vibrant and candid discussions among parliamentary leaders on the pressing challenges and potential of a multipolar world.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, delivered an opening speech underscoring the APF’s political significance. “The current systemic crisis of multilateralism offers a new opportunity for our alliance to assert its political relevance and prove that the Francophonie is more than a linguistic community—it is a force for reconciliation, moderation, and peace,” she said.
The 50th APF concluded with a reaffirmed commitment by member nations to uphold the founding principles of the Francophonie while embracing adaptive strategies to confront contemporary global issues.
