48th Meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee: Ensuring all commitments and orientations in the Vietnam - Laos cooperation relationship are implemented substantially

In an interview with the press on the occasion of the 48th Session of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs NGUYEN MANH CUONG emphasized that the Session affirmed the highest political interest and determination of senior leaders in fostering the "unique" relationship and the key role of the intergovernmental cooperation mechanism, ensuring that all commitments and orientations between the two Parties and two countries in the cooperative relationship are implemented substantially.

Mechanism to realize the spirit of sharing, mutual support and mutual development

- Could you tell us what is the significance of the 48th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee in the overall special cooperative relationship between the two countries?

- The Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee is a very important mechanism to implement the relationship of "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion" between the two Parties and two States.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Vientiane, starting his trip to attend the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on the morning of December 2, 2025. Photo: VNA

This year, the 48th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee is not only an annual meeting to review cooperation agreements during the year, but also a special meeting as it takes place right after the High-level Meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, and at the same time, it takes place at a time when the two countries are summarizing the 2021-2025 cooperation term and preparing to enter a new phase of cooperation with a broader strategic vision.

Co-chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, the session affirmed the interest and highest political determination of senior leaders in nurturing the "unique" relationship, as well as the key role of the Intergovernmental Committee mechanism, a cooperative institution that has been maintained continuously for the past 48 years, ensuring that all commitments and orientations between the two Parties and two countries in the cooperative relationship are implemented substantially. This is the mechanism to realize the spirit of sharing, mutual support and mutual development.

This year, the two sides will comprehensively evaluate the results of cooperation in the past 5 years (2021-2025). It can be said that despite many fluctuations in the regional and world context, Vietnam-Laos cooperation continues to develop substantially, bringing very positive results. At the same time, the meeting is also of strategic orientation when the two sides will discuss and propose cooperation directions for 2026 and the following years. Based on the results of General Secretary To Lam's State visit to Laos and high-level agreements, the two sides will discuss and agree to continue to make economic cooperation one of the pillars of strategic cohesion, strongly and comprehensively promoting relations between the two countries in all fields.

This is also an opportunity to affirm and deepen the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos. This close connection has strategic significance not only for the stability and development of each country, but also contributes positively to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.

- Can you share some outstanding achievements in implementing the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Agreement for the 2021-2025 period?

- In the 2021 - 2025 period, despite the rapidly changing world and regional situation, increased strategic competition between major countries and many global challenges such as natural disasters, epidemics, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos is still consolidated and developed sustainably.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong. Source: baoquocte.vn

Under the direct and comprehensive leadership of the two Parties and States, close coordination between ministries, branches, localities and businesses of both sides has been proactively, flexibly and effectively implemented. Thanks to that, many key cooperation projects, especially in the 2024 - 2025 period, have had difficulties removed, progress accelerated, brought about substantial results, and created new momentum for bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, defense, security and culture - society.

The two sides held a Conference to disseminate and issue a Plan to implement the High-Level Agreements to concretize the High-Level Agreements, contributing to developing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos more deeply, substantially and effectively, as demonstrated through the following aspects:

First of all , political relations continue to be strengthened and increasingly deepened, connected, and trusted, affirming the core role and overall orientation in the relationship between the two countries. The two sides affirmed that the Vietnam - Laos relationship is an exemplary, loyal, pure, and rare relationship; a decisive factor in the victory of each country's revolution and a priceless common asset of the two Parties and two peoples, which needs to be preserved, promoted, and passed on to future generations.

The two sides have effectively promoted existing cooperation mechanisms and at the same time built new mechanisms to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles in implementing agreements between the two Parties and two States; and closely coordinated on strategic issues.

Cooperation in the fields of defense, security and foreign affairs between Vietnam and Laos continues to be maintained and developed as an important pillar in the relationship between the two countries.

Regarding economic, investment and trade cooperation. Economic cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has recently made new progress, with positive changes. Many difficulties and obstacles have been promptly resolved, and investment and trade promotion, guidance, inspection and supervision have been stepped up. A number of large-scale projects in the fields of energy and mineral exploitation have been promoted, which has created an important driving force to promote other Vietnamese projects to invest in Laos. The two sides have also actively researched and resolved difficulties in a number of key and strategic projects.

Regarding Vietnam's investment in Laos , Vietnam currently has 276 investment projects in Laos with a total registered capital of more than 6.21 billion USD, of which the implemented capital is about 3 billion USD. Many large projects have been completed, operating effectively and bringing profits, contributing to creating jobs for Lao people, promoting socio-economic development of the two countries, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, energy, mining, agriculture and food processing.

In the 2021 - 2025 period, the Lao Government has allowed Vietnamese enterprises to invest in 35 works and projects in various fields with a total registered capital of 4.3 billion USD. Vietnamese enterprises contribute an average of about 200 million USD/year in taxes and financial obligations to the Lao Government. In the 2021 - 2025 period, Vietnam - Laos trade growth exceeded the target set by the leaders of the two countries, striving to bring bilateral trade turnover to 5 billion USD in the coming time.

The two sides have effectively promoted the mechanism, promoted the digitalization of bilateral retail payments, contributed to strengthening economic connectivity between the two countries, created new momentum in trade cooperation, thereby actively supporting economic cooperation, trade, investment and exchange activities of the two peoples.

The cooperative and mutual assistance relationship between the departments, ministries, branches, committees of the National Assembly, the Fatherland Front, organizations and localities of the two countries continues to be strengthened, implemented substantially and in depth, associated with the implementation of the High-level Agreement between the two Parties, the Cooperation Plan between the two Governments and bilateral programs.

Looking back on the past, we are always proud of the great efforts of many generations in building the country, nurturing the Vietnam-Laos relationship to continuously blossom and bear fruit, making this relationship extremely exemplary, loyal, pure and the only model in the world. With the close attention and direction of the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries, together with the efforts of ministries, departments, branches, organizations at the central and local levels, and of Vietnamese and Lao enterprises, we have full basis to maintain faith in a bright future for each country as well as the special solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Laos in the new period.

May the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos continue to develop, bear fruit and last forever.

- Thank you very much, Deputy Minister!

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/ky-hop-48-uy-ban-lien-chinh-phu-viet-nam-lao-bao-dam-moi-cam-ket-dinh-huong-trong-quan-he-hop-tac-viet-nam-lao-duoc-trien-khai-thuc-chat-10397919.html