At the reception, the National Assembly Chairwoman spoke highly of the relations between Vietnam and UNESCO, saying that the cooperation between the two sides has continuously developed over time as many UNESCO’s projects are effectively operating in Vietnam, and the organization’s support in knowledge, technique, management and finance have contributed largely to the harmonious and sustainable development in the country.

The National Assembly Chairman stated that Viet Nam is increasingly active in contributing to the overall work of UNESCO, well taking on a role as a member of the UNESCO Executive Council and the World Heritage Committee - two important UNESCO bodies and running for the post of Director-General of UNESCO.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan congratulated Ms. Irina Bokova on her success in the two-term tenure as Director-General of UNESCO and highly valued her contributions as the head of UNESCO to leading the organization to overcome many difficulties and undertake many innovative measures to improve its effectiveness and promote its influence on the global scale.

The National Assembly Chairwoman also spoke highly of Bokova’s dedication to strengthening the partnership between Vietnam and the UNESCO.

“With the motto of being a trust-worthy friend and partner as well as a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam will continue proactively participating in UNESCO’s work in the hope of making more contributions to the organization”, emphasized the Vietnamese top legislator.

Irina Bokova, for her part, thanked National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan for the warm reception. She said that during her visit to Viet Nam, she held talks with Vietnam’s authorities to seek measures to increase cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO, as well as ways to implement the memorandum of understanding between the two sides for the 2016-2020 period.

She also signed an agreement to establish two category 2 centers for mathematics and physics under UNESCO’s sponsor.

The Director-General of UNESCO highly valued the Vietnamese National Assembly head’s sharing on socio-economic development of Vietnam, and the promotion of values of UNESCO-recognized cultural works.

Accordingly, gender equality of Vietnam has made much progress with women holding many important positions in the government and organizations. The National Assembly has promoted its legislative role and oversees the review of appropriate legal documents to ensure the implementation of gender equality for sustainable development purposes. In education, health care, people's health care, the role of women has been well promoted.

The two sides then also exchanged views on the current role of UNESCO.