At the conclusion of the visit, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung gave an interview to a special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency (TTXVN) regarding the results of the visit.
Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung. Photo: Phuong Hoa/TTXVN
General Secretary To Lam's recent state visits to Laos and Cambodia, his co-chairing of the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), and his co-chairing of the meeting between the three heads of the parties of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in Cambodia, were all successful. This was General Secretary To Lam's first overseas trip after the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Minister, could you please share the highlights of this trip?
Recently, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, along with a high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State, paid a state visit to Laos on February 5th, followed immediately by a state visit to Cambodia on February 6th.
The visit was held at a very special time, being the first overseas trip of General Secretary To Lam in his capacity as General Secretary of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, clearly demonstrating Vietnam's importance and priority in developing and fostering relations with neighboring countries. The visit also held special significance and historical importance as the high-level delegation included Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, along with many other high-ranking leaders of the Party and State. This was a strong political message, demonstrating a special level of trust for the prosperous development of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and for peace, stability, prosperity, and common development in the region and the world.
Particularly for our brotherly country Laos, General Secretary To Lam's state visit took place just 10 days after the state visit of Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife to Vietnam last January to congratulate the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This was also the first visit by a foreign leader to Laos after the Lao People's Revolutionary Party successfully held its 12th National Congress. This strongly affirms the special tradition of solidarity and unwavering loyalty between Vietnam and Laos, sending a strong message about the strategic ties, political trust, and shared aspirations for development of the two Parties and two countries.
On this occasion, both Laos and Cambodia welcomed General Secretary To Lam and the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State with the highest level of protocol, utmost respect, and warmth. The image of the people of both countries waving flags and flowers to greet them from the airport to the various activity locations evoked deeply moving feelings in each member of our delegation. Leaders of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the Cambodian People's Party, government leaders, parliamentary leaders, and many high-ranking leaders of the Lao and Cambodian Parties and States directly participated in welcoming, seeing off, and actively working and exchanging views with key leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State. Within 48 hours in the two countries, General Secretary To Lam and the other Party and State leaders had a packed schedule of nearly 40 diplomatic activities. The talks and meetings took place in a frank, trusting, open, and sincere atmosphere, achieving many substantive results, in line with the objectives of the visits.
During this visit, a highlight of the event in Laos was General Secretary To Lam's announcement of the results of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam to key Lao officials. Over 700 people attended in person, with online connections to local areas and grassroots organizations, and live television coverage throughout Laos. Through this, General Secretary To Lam informed about the achievements made during 40 years of reform and the 5-year term of the 13th Party Congress in all fields, from economy and society to Party building, national defense and security, and foreign affairs; and the orientations of the Party and State adopted at the 14th Congress to usher Vietnam into a new era, in which the foreign policy continues to affirm the importance placed on Vietnam-Laos relations.
General Secretary To Lam; Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party Samdech Techo Hun Sen; General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Thongloun Sisoulith, along with key leaders of the three parties, at the meeting. Photo: Thong Nhat/TTXVN.
During his State visit to Cambodia, General Secretary To Lam co-chaired a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Also in Cambodia, General Secretary To Lam, together with CPP Chairman Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, co-chaired a high-level meeting of the three parties. This activity affirmed the tradition of good cooperative relations between the three parties, serving as an important and solid foundation for strengthening strategic exchanges, consolidating political trust, and agreeing on major cooperation directions in the future.
Minister, could you please elaborate on the specific results achieved during General Secretary To Lam's state visit to Laos? How will the two countries implement these results in the future?
Given the special timing as mentioned above, the State visit to Laos by General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation was highly appreciated by the Lao Party, State, and people for its profound political significance, clearly demonstrating Vietnam's special respect and top priority for the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
During the visit, General Secretary To Lam held extensive discussions with the top leaders of the Lao Party and State. Based on a high level of political trust and the special close ties between the two Parties, States, and peoples, the high-level leaders of both sides reached many important strategic consensuses, opening up new prospects for more substantive and effective cooperation, meeting the expectations of the people of both countries in the new development phase, specifically:
Firstly, both sides reaffirmed their strong political determination to preserve, cultivate, and develop the Vietnam-Laos relationship, a priceless shared asset of the two nations. Accordingly, the leaders of the two countries emphasized the importance of working together and effectively implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Vietnamese leaders affirmed their commitment to continuing to stand alongside, share with, and support Laos with a pure, loyal, and unwavering spirit, especially in the new era of development for both nations.
Secondly, the visit contributed to deepening and concretizing the "strategic engagement" recently established between the two countries in December 2025. On this occasion, the leaders of the two Parties and countries agreed on a common understanding and direction of action to immediately put the "strategic engagement" into practice, promoting closer ties between the two Parties and countries in terms of political vision and development interests. Specifically, both sides agreed to strengthen comprehensive integration between development strategies, socio-economic policies, infrastructure planning, and development space, while simultaneously promoting cooperation in education, training, and human resource development. The principle of putting people at the center of this integration process is identified as a key factor ensuring the long-term sustainability of the bilateral relationship.
On this occasion, Vietnam and Laos exchanged numerous cooperation documents in fields such as education, justice, and connectivity between localities. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos on the establishment of a Vietnamese University in the Lao People's Democratic Republic is a strong testament to the spirit of prompt action in implementing the framework of the "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic linkage" between Vietnam and Laos, which the two countries began implementing just two months after the idea was conceived.
General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, along with key leaders of both countries. Photo: Thong Nhat/TTXVN
Thirdly, the two leaders agreed to continue to firmly consolidate absolute strategic trust and strengthen closer coordination in the context of rapidly changing and complex regional and international situations. Both sides affirmed their commitment to maintaining a mechanism for regular and timely exchanges, sharing views, consulting on policies, and coordinating the handling of issues of mutual concern, thereby firmly consolidating strategic trust and protecting the legitimate interests of each country.
Both sides also agreed to focus on the comprehensive and effective implementation of the agreements reached, in which political cooperation continues to play a guiding and leading role; defense and security cooperation is an important pillar ensuring peace and stability; and economic cooperation is identified as an area requiring significant transformation and breakthroughs, linked to infrastructure connectivity, trade, investment, and human resource development. At the same time, the two countries will continue to coordinate closely within regional cooperation mechanisms, especially ASEAN and the Mekong Subregion, thereby making positive contributions to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region, while enhancing the position and common voice of both countries on the international stage.
Minister, could you please tell us about the achievements made during the State visit of General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to Cambodia?
General Secretary To Lam's state visit to Cambodia yielded many concrete and substantive results. Besides the meeting between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the CPP, General Secretary To Lam held meetings with the highest-ranking Cambodian leaders. Cambodian leaders expressed their high regard for the General Secretary's visit, showing affection, admiration, and high appreciation for Vietnam's development achievements and historically significant policies. Leaders from both sides shared many common viewpoints and understandings, and agreed on major principles and orientations for bilateral relations in a new phase of development, with a Joint Statement and numerous cooperation documents signed. The results of the visit can be summarized in five main points as follows:
Firstly, the two leaders affirmed their mutual respect and support for each other, giving top priority to the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral relationship. They shared a common understanding of the importance of maintaining good neighborly relations, inseparable traditional friendship, and supporting each other's stable development amidst complex and volatile regional and international situations. Both sides agreed to firmly consolidate political trust, considering it a core and overarching factor, playing a strategic guiding role for the entire bilateral relationship.
In particular, the two sides reached important common understandings, agreeing on several major principles that lay a solid foundation for managing and resolving differences. These principles include resolving differences through frank and constructive dialogue, sincere and good-faith cooperation based on respect for each other's legitimate core interests, building on commonalities while minimizing and narrowing differences; strengthening information sharing and timely consultation on issues of common concern, especially those related to borders, communities, cooperation programs and projects; maintaining consensus, consolidating trust, and maintaining stable and long-term bilateral relations. This is an important development in understanding, serving as a basis for the two countries to control and resolve outstanding issues, preventing them from affecting bilateral relations; and providing a foundation for consolidating political trust to further develop stronger and more stable relations between the two Parties and the two countries.
Cambodian People's Party Chairman Samdech Techo Hun Sen welcomes General Secretary To Lam to the State banquet. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA.
Secondly, both sides affirmed their determination to enhance efficiency and create breakthroughs in economic cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the people and businesses of both countries. Accordingly, the two countries agreed to leverage their complementary strengths to strengthen bilateral and regional economic ties, especially in strategic infrastructure, supply chain connectivity, agriculture and agricultural processing, energy and logistics, and border economic cooperation, facilitating the flow of goods, services, and investment between the two economies.
The two leaders also outlined several measures to further improve the investment and business environment, aiming for strong growth in bilateral trade, with the goal of reaching $20 billion. In particular, both sides agreed to continue discussions on joint research into a new economic mechanism to more closely link the economies of the two countries.
Thirdly, both sides agreed that defense and security continue to be solid pillars in Vietnam-Cambodia relations, determined to maintain a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and developing border; strengthen cooperation between the two armed forces, including capacity building; and combat transnational crime, especially online fraud and drug trafficking. Both sides also resolved not to allow hostile forces to use each other's territory to carry out subversive activities against the other. At the same time, Vietnam and Cambodia will continue to coordinate closely and contribute effectively to regional cooperation, especially within the framework of the Mekong Subregion and ASEAN, contributing to building a united and resilient ASEAN Community, and promoting ASEAN's central role in resolving regional and international issues.
Fourth, the leaders of the two countries affirmed their strong determination to effectively implement the cooperation agreements between the two Parties and the two countries, strengthening consultations between Party committees, and considering substantive implementation as an important measure of political will and the level of trust between the two sides. Accordingly, the two sides have set out clear plans and roadmaps, renewing the content and methods of cooperation in a substantive, flexible, and effective manner to implement high-level agreements, especially promoting the role of regular political consultation and dialogue mechanisms, sharing information promptly, coordinating positions, and appropriately handling emerging issues.
An important point is that the agreements reached between Vietnam and Cambodia during this visit not only have significant political implications for the two Parties and countries, but also harmonize with the agreements reached at the high-level meeting between the three Parties of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Accordingly, the high-level meeting of the three Parties reached consensus on many groundbreaking aspects regarding the orientation of future cooperation, notably the agreement to form and develop connections between the three countries in economics, science and technology, transportation, energy, agriculture, high technology, and connections between the people of the three countries, especially connections between youth, so that the younger generation can continue to preserve and promote the solidarity and enduring historical values between the three Parties and countries. The high-level meeting of the three Parties, attended by the heads of government and parliament of the three countries, sent a strong message that the results achieved are the result of high consensus within the entire political system of the countries, affirming the importance placed on the relationship between the three Parties and countries as an invaluable shared asset.
Thus, the visit of General Secretary To Lam and the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State to Laos and Cambodia was a resounding success, demonstrating the high political determination of the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State, as well as the leaders of Laos and Cambodia, in elevating the traditional friendly neighborly relations to a new level, meeting the very high development goals of each country in the new context, for the benefit of the people of the three countries, and making a positive contribution to peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the region and the world.
Thank you, Minister!
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/dua-moi-quan-he-lang-gieng-len-tam-cao-moi-20260207223115102.htm
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