»I had a very interesting meeting with Vietnam's President, Truong Tan Sang, during which we talked about our long-standing cooperation with his country since Denmark recognised North Vietnam in 1971 in the middle of the war. As an old friend of Vietnam, who contributed to the decision that the country should become a DANIDA partner country in 1993, I said that Vietnam had probably been the most efficient development programme partner that Denmark has had over the past 20 years. Domestic measures to combat poverty in Vietnam have been impressive. Vietnam has been enjoying a high growth rate for many years and in future our two countries can look forward to an increase in trade and investment – not least with regard to sustainable development and green growth,« said Mogens Lykketoft (S), the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, after the meeting.

About Truong Tan Sang

Truong Tan Sang was appointed president in July 2011. He is a member of the Communist Party's influential Politburo and has previously held central posts in the party. Truong Tan Sang holds a BA in law.

Vietnam's president is formally appointed by the country's National Assembly, which is dominated by the Communist Party. The president has a great deal of political influence and is, among other things, the Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces and is also responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and other ministers, who the National Assembly is entitled to dismiss. Since the election in 2011, the National Assembly has comprised 458 members of the Communist Party and 42 non-affiliated members – 122 of the members of the National Assembly are women (24.4 per cent).

The Danish Parliament cooperates with Vietnam's National Assembly

The Danish Parliament has been cooperating with Vietnam's National Assembly since 2008. The general purpose of the cooperation, which remains in effect until 2015, is to promote democratic governance in the National Assembly and in its administration.
For the past two decades Vietnam has enjoyed rapid economic and social development. Vietnam was one of the world's poorest countries at the beginning of the 1990s. Today – 20 years later with annual growth rates of approximately 7 per cent – its economy has more than tripled and Vietnam has become a middle-income country.