48th Meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee: Realizing the "strategic connection" relationship

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone agreed to jointly raise strategic trust to a higher level.

On the morning of December 3, in the capital Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone co-chaired the 48th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Vietnam - Laos Bilateral Cooperation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone co-chaired the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation. Photo: VGP

The meeting aims to review and evaluate the implementation of agreements in the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Plan for the 2021 - 2025 period and 2025; at the same time, discuss and agree on cooperation directions and tasks for the 2026 - 2030 period and 2026; and especially to immediately concretize the results of the High-level Meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

The two Prime Ministers viewed some photos on display about the two countries' diplomatic relations. Photo: VGP

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone warmly welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government to visit and attend the meeting; he said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's working trip to Laos, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Laos' National Day, is of great significance, and will immediately implement high-level agreements between the two Parties, realizing the "strategic connection" relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and the Lao Government for the respectful, thoughtful, warm and fraternal reception given to the Vietnamese delegation; congratulated Laos on the organization of the country's important anniversaries, especially the 50th anniversary of National Day, as well as the great achievements that the Lao people have reaped after 50 years of founding the country and 40 years of implementing the renovation process.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed their joy at the great and comprehensive achievements that the two Parties, two States and peoples of the two countries have attained in recent times.

Informing about the situation of each country, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed their joy at the great and comprehensive achievements that the two Parties, States and peoples have attained in recent times; believing that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the cause of innovation, national construction and protection of each country will continue to achieve even greater achievements; the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos will increasingly develop and deepen.

At the Session, after listening to the report reviewing the areas of cooperation for the 2021-2025 period and the directions and tasks of cooperation for the 2026-2030 period, the two Prime Ministers and leaders of ministries, branches and agencies of the two sides informed and exchanged specific measures to implement cooperation agreements in the coming time, with specific programs and projects.

The 48th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Vietnam - Laos Bilateral Cooperation

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that in the context of many difficulties and challenges, thanks to the thorough understanding of the direction of the two Politburoes, together with the great efforts and determination of the State, Government, ministries, sectors and localities, the two countries have seriously and effectively implemented the High-level Agreements, bringing about many achievements in cooperation between the two countries, contributing to jointly building an independent, self-reliant economy, deeply integrated into the international community, practically and effectively, with many remarkable results.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pointed out 10 good tasks: Political relations at the highest level; defense and security cooperation playing a pivotal role; impressive economic and trade growth; many breakthroughs in financial cooperation; progress in energy cooperation; effective aid; effective operation of Laos-Vietnam expert teams; strong increase in cooperation in education, training, culture and tourism; and resolved obstacles in projects.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that in the context of many difficulties and challenges, thanks to the thorough understanding of the direction of the two Politburoes, together with the great efforts and determination of the State and Government, the two countries have seriously and effectively implemented the High-level Agreements, bringing about many achievements in cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone recognized that on the basis of the extremely good political and diplomatic relations, close trust, playing a core role, and guiding the overall relationship between the two countries; defense and security cooperation between the two countries continues to be close, doing well in maintaining political stability, social order and safety in each country; building a peaceful, stable, friendly, cooperative and comprehensively developed Vietnam - Laos border; effectively preventing all types of crimes, especially transnational crimes.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has seen many developments. As of April 2025, Vietnam had 267 investment projects in Laos with a total registered capital of 5.63 billion USD. In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam's investment in Laos reached 566.1 million USD with quality projects, sustainable development, key areas where Laos has strengths such as clean energy, mining and agriculture.

Many Vietnamese investment projects operate effectively, contributing positively to socio-economic development, creating jobs and increasing income for thousands of workers, supplementing revenue for the Lao budget, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, rubber planting and processing, food production and processing, and milk.

Total Vietnam-Laos import-export turnover in the first 10 months of 2025 reached 2.6 billion USD, an increase of 50.4% over the same period in 2024, of which Vietnam had a trade deficit of 626.2 million USD.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said he will direct the Laos-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee to make a breakthrough, go into depth to well implement the agreement and provide high-level direction in all fields.

The fields of education - training, science, technology, culture, tourism, people-to-people exchange, cooperation between ministries, branches, agencies and localities of the two countries... have been vibrant and continue to be strengthened. Vietnam and Laos always coordinate closely and support each other in multilateral and regional forums, especially in coordination with other ASEAN member countries in building the ASEAN Community and maintaining ASEAN solidarity and consensus on strategic issues in the region...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that in the current context, the two countries need to have new determination, new approaches, new motivations, creating momentum, creating new strength, creating new spirit for the two countries to develop together; at the same time, further promoting and tightening, building the special Vietnam - Laos relationship, becoming a model in international relations.

In order to promote the relationship between the two countries, especially right after the High-level Meeting between the two Parties, the two Prime Ministers agreed that the two sides should immediately join hands to deepen the content of the Vietnam - Laos relationship to a new height of "Great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, strategic connection", with "political relations being vital, defense - security and economic cooperation being key, science, technology, education - training cooperation being a breakthrough, business and people cooperation being the foundation, local cooperation being the lever".

Agreeing with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's opinion, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said he would direct the Laos-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee to make a breakthrough, go into depth in implementing the agreement and giving high-level direction in all fields.

Believing that Vietnamese enterprises investing in Laos have contributed to economic development and job creation for Lao people, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone encouraged Vietnamese enterprises to invest in large-scale projects in Laos; promote connectivity of transport and energy infrastructure; deploy the Vientiane - Hanoi expressway; improve the efficiency of the potash mining project...

Committing to continue creating favorable conditions for businesses to invest effectively in accordance with Laos' requirements, especially projects on clean, high-value agriculture, science and technology, etc., the Lao Prime Minister suggested that both sides continue to improve the quality of human resource training, fully agree to build a Laos-Vietnam University, and focus on developing vocational schools and schools in border areas.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to jointly raise strategic trust to a higher level.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to jointly raise strategic trust to a higher level; further strengthen cooperation in the fields of defense and security; create a strong, strategic breakthrough in economic, trade, investment and infrastructure development cooperation, promoting connectivity between the two economies, infrastructure connectivity, ensuring economic security and energy security of each country; removing difficulties and barriers, ensuring the effectiveness of cooperation programs and projects between the two countries...

In the immediate future, in 2026, the two sides will focus on implementing the Vietnam-Laos Joint Statement; the Agreement signed at the 48th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee; propose many strong and practical measures to continue deepening the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries; strengthen the pillar of defense-security cooperation; continue to give special priority to education-training cooperation; and bilateral economic cooperation.

In particular, the two sides continue to promote and deepen political and diplomatic relations, achieving higher efficiency, and orienting the overall Vietnam-Laos cooperation relationship; maintaining and improving the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms; effectively organizing visits, meetings and contacts between high-ranking leaders in many flexible forms; improving and enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of cooperation at all levels, sectors and localities. The two sides continue to cooperate closely in defense and security; building a peaceful, stable, cooperative and comprehensively developed Vietnam-Laos border.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen the connection between the two economies and promote Vietnam-Laos investment and trade cooperation. These include organizing meetings between Lao Government leaders and the Vietnamese business community; organizing inspections and reviews of Vietnamese investment projects in Laos; researching and implementing large-scale projects in Laos such as the construction of the Vietnam-Laos University and the Exhibition Center.

The Lao Government creates favorable and preferential conditions for large and key projects of Vietnamese enterprises; studies and adjusts regulations on implementation time in hydropower and mining investment in accordance with the new situation; promotes strong growth in trade turnover, strives to continue to promote trade turnover between the two countries in 2026 by 10-15% compared to 2025, soon bringing two-way trade turnover to 5 billion USD and towards 10 billion USD/year; focuses on solving difficulties, promoting the implementation of transport infrastructure connectivity; considers agriculture and rural development as one of the pillars of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides continued to promote cooperation between ministries, branches, agencies and localities of the two countries; prioritized and promoted the improvement of quality in education-training cooperation and human resource development. In particular, the Vietnamese Government continued to provide 1,300 scholarships for Lao officials and students to study in Vietnam; and continued to send teachers to teach Vietnamese in Laos.

The two Prime Ministers emphasized that they will resolutely focus on directing relevant ministries, branches, localities, enterprises and units to closely coordinate and effectively implement the Commitment Agreements, in which they will continue to create maximum favorable conditions for enterprises of the two countries to cooperate in investment, production and business. The two sides believe that the success of the Meeting will create new momentum to help the cooperation between the two countries to develop further, go into depth, substance, trust and efficiency, contributing to constantly strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the coming time.

At the meeting, the two sides signed the following cooperation documents: Cooperation Agreement between the Lao Government and the Vietnamese Government for the period 2026-2030; Agreement on the Cooperation Plan between the Lao Government and the Vietnamese Government in 2026; Minutes of the 48th Meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee; Cooperation Plan for 2026 between the Ministries of Education and Training of the two countries.

Source: https://vtv.vn/ky-hop-48-uy-ban-lien-chinh-phu-viet-nam-lao-hien-thuc-hoa-quan-he-gan-ket-chien-luoc-100251203145754589.htm