On the evening of April 18, the special aircraft carrying Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, his spouse, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation departed Istanbul, Türkiye, and landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, marking the successful end of the working trip to attend the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-152) in Istanbul, conduct a number of bilateral activities in Türkiye, and pay an official visit to the Italian Republic from April 11 to 17, 2026.

The working trip not only reaffirmed Vietnam’s increasingly important role and standing in multilateral parliamentary forums but also generated new momentum to promote bilateral cooperation across multiple strategic areas.

At the multilateral level, at IPU-152, the Chairman of the National Assembly and the Vietnamese delegation actively, proactively, and responsibly engaged and made substantive contributions to the overall success of the Assembly.

Notably, in his address at the general debate, the Chairman of the National Assembly put forward important proposals to elevate parliamentary cooperation strategies, including promoting dialogue and building trust; developing legal frameworks and overseeing the implementation of international commitments; and ensuring the fair and equal enforcement of laws.

With a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, Chairman Tran Thanh Man affirmed that Vietnam is, and will continue to be, actively and responsibly engaged with friends and partners in addressing common regional and international issues.

In addition, the Vietnamese delegation actively participated in sessions of the IPU Governing Council, IPU Standing Committees, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP), the Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Group (APG), and the ASEAN+3 Group; attended the Roundtable on the Hanoi Convention on Cybercrime; and made direct contributions to the drafting of various documents of the Assembly.

On this occasion, the Chairman of the National Assembly also held numerous bilateral meetings with leaders of parliaments of other countries, thereby strengthening political trust and promoting cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and defence and security.

At the bilateral level, the official visit to Italy and related activities in Türkiye marked a clear new step forward, further advancing Vietnam’s relations with both countries in the coming period. Leaders of the host states, parliaments, and local authorities all expressed strong appreciation for the visit.

Italy reaffirmed that Vietnam is one of its most trusted partners with great potential for cooperation, and committed to continuing to accompany and support Vietnam in strengthening its relations with the European Union. Türkiye expressed its desire to elevate bilateral ties, viewing Vietnam as an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

In particular, the meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmus carried significant political importance. Both sides noted that after nearly 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam - Türkiye relations have developed to a new, more strategic level and should continue to be elevated in line with the potential and prospects of both countries.

The agreement to make economy, trade, and investment key pillars of cooperation, aiming to raise bilateral trade to USD 4 billion, along with efforts to promote business connectivity, make use of direct flights, electronic visas, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, reflects a concrete, substantive, and highly feasible direction of cooperation.

During the official visit to the Italian Republic, through meetings, talks, and interactions between Chairman Tran Thanh Man and the President of Italy, leaders of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, meetings with Pope Leo XIV, the Prime Minister of the Vatican, the General Secretary of the Italian Communist Party (Re-establishment), as well as exchanges with political circles, local authorities, and the business community, the Italian side demonstrated a very high level of regard for Vietnam’s position, role, and voice in the Asia-Pacific region.

In many statements and engagements, Italy not only affirmed Vietnam as a key strategic partner of top importance in Southeast Asia but also highly valued Vietnam as a dynamic economy, an attractive investment destination, and an increasingly important bridge between Italy and ASEAN.

The working trip of Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Istanbul, conduct bilateral activities in Türkiye, and pay an official visit to Italy is of significant importance in implementing the foreign policy direction of the 14th National Party Congress, further concretizing Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening and deepening relations with important partners, including European and Middle Eastern countries, thereby contributing to building a favorable external environment and mobilizing international support and external resources for the realization of the country’s development goals in the new era.