Photo taken on Jan. 18, 2018 shows a scene of the 26th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 26th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) kicked off here on Thursday, discussing construction of the APPF's new vision for the future after 25 years of development. (Xinhua/VNA)

HANOI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 26th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) kicked off here on Thursday, discussing construction of the APPF's new vision for the future after 25 years of development.

The vision should be based on effective parliamentary partnerships, which require bigger commitments to bettering cooperation mechanisms within the APPF, and between the forum and other regional institutions for peace, security, and inclusive and sustainable growth, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Chairwoman of Vietnam's National Assembly, said at the opening ceremony.

Also addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang called for all 27 APPF members to effectively handle regional challenges, including growing protectionism, slower regional connectivity in some areas, wars and conflicts, poverty and climate change.

Earlier on Thursday, the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians of APPF-26 was held in Hanoi, seeking ways to promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls for sustainable development and shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

On Friday, delegates to the four-day meeting, themed "Parliamentary partnership for peace, innovation and sustainable development," will focus their discussions on politics, security, economy and trade issues.