In February 2020, at the invitation of the General Director of Vietnam Social Security, ISSA General Secretary Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano came to Vietnam during the first working visit to an ISSA member country for the term of 2019-2025. This event is of great significance, with a view to actualize the commitment of ISSA leaders in strengthening the Association's regional connectivity role, and at the same time facilitating and promoting Vietnam Social Security to continue to integrate, strengthen and develop international cooperation in the field of social security.

According to the agenda, the General Secretary of the ISSA paid a courtesy visit to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu and participated in cooperative discussions with the head of Vietnam Social Security, attending an international workshop "Sustainable Social Security System Development: Implication and Opportunities for Vietnam"; discussed cooperation and connection with ASSA and visited the IT Center.

In the thanking letter to the General Director of Vietnam Social Security dated March 11, 2020, Secretary General of ISSA emphasized that the recent working visit to Vietnam was a "diverse work program, high quality discussions, on the basis of strong commitment and conformity between the priority objectives of Vietnam Social Security and the ISSA activities, the potential for strong cooperation has been creating extension”.

General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen Thi Minh and ISSA General Secretary Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano

Mr. Marcelo was particularly impressed by the achievements of the Social Insurance Industry in expanding coverage, governance, information technology and communication, providing public services in the field of social security; at the same time recognized the dynamic and creativity of Vietnam Social Insurance in their role of leading and connection, which opens a new chapter for the cooperation between ISSA and ASSA to benefit all social security organizations in the region. The most recent one is the discussion on the Memorandum of Cooperation between ISSA and ASSA in 2020.

Regarding the potential to organize ISSA activities in the region in general and Vietnam in particular in the future, the Secretary General proposed that ISSA and Vietnam Social Security would together "consider the possibility of organizing the Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific in Vietnam in 2021”. This is the most fundamental regional social security event held every 3 years, with the participation of more than 300 senior representatives of social security organizations to discuss effective practices and propose solutions and initiatives for the area.

In addition, ISSA committed to continue focusing on concretizing and strengthening research, training and assisting technical activities for Vietnam Social Security as a member organization in 2020 to disseminate practical experiences to make progress on the effectiveness of the social security system management./.