The meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee achieved many important and practical results.

Defense and security cooperation has been strengthened in a close, effective and trustworthy manner; Vietnam-Laos economic cooperation has been gradually improved; Vietnam-Laos bilateral trade turnover has tended to increase.

According to a VNA reporter in Laos, on December 3 in the capital Vientiane, after the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation co-chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, a press conference was held on the meeting's results.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and Vietnamese Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang co-chaired the press conference.

Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith congratulated and highly appreciated the success of the 48th Meeting of the Laos-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, affirming that the Meeting was very successful, achieving many important and practical results for the cooperative relationship between the two countries. The two sides highly appreciated the results of implementing the cooperation agreements for the 2021-2025 period, bringing practical benefits to the people of Laos and Vietnam.

Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith said that the political and foreign relations between the two countries continue to develop strongly, stably and comprehensively; the exchange of delegations and contacts at high and all levels are maintained regularly, contributing to strengthening political trust, creating a solid foundation for the special relationship between the two countries in all fields; at the same time, they coordinate and support each other effectively within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and regional and international forums.

Defense-security cooperation continues to be strengthened in a close, effective and trustworthy direction; bilateral economic cooperation has gradually improved; Vietnam-Laos bilateral trade turnover tends to increase over the years, estimated to reach about 3 billion USD in 2025.

Regarding investment, to date, Vietnamese enterprises have invested in Laos with 276 projects, with a total registered capital of 6.21 billion USD, ranking first among 85 countries in the region where Vietnam has invested abroad.

Many projects operate effectively, contributing positively to the socio-economic development of Laos, creating jobs, increasing income for thousands of workers and revenue for the state budget, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, rubber, agriculture, food processing, milk, etc.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone welcomes Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Vietnam-Laos Investment Promotion Conference 2025. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

In the first 10 months of 2025, the total newly registered capital of Vietnamese enterprises in Laos reached 566.1 million USD, focusing on quality, sustainable projects such as clean energy, mining and agriculture.

Notably, wind power projects such as Truong Son, Savanh 1… are being actively promoted and implemented. Regarding infrastructure connectivity, the two sides have coordinated to promote key projects such as Vung Ang Port 1, 2, 3; the Laos-Vietnam railway; and the Vientiane-Hanoi expressway, facilitating the circulation of goods in the region.

Cultural and social cooperation continues to expand, especially in the fields of education and human resource training. The two sides agreed to improve the quality of selecting Lao students to study in Vietnam. In 2026, the Vietnamese Government will continue to grant 1,300 scholarships to Lao officials, students and pupils. Cooperation between ministries, branches and localities of the two countries is increasingly close and effective.

At the meeting, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing ceremony and exchange of four cooperation documents, including the Vietnam-Laos cooperation agreement for the 2026-2030 period; the Vietnam-Laos cooperation agreement in 2026; the Minutes of the 48th Meeting; and the Cooperation Plan between the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training.

The two sides believe that the success of the Meeting and the signed documents will contribute significantly to elevating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam to a new height.

On this occasion, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for always accompanying, supporting and helping Laos in the stages of national liberation struggle as well as in the current cause of national protection, construction and development; and affirmed that the Lao Party and Government always attach importance to and give the highest priority to the special cooperation relationship between Laos and Vietnam.

Vietnamese Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said that the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation was attended by representatives of more than 25 ministries, branches and localities of the two countries; he announced that the two sides had assessed the situation of cooperation between the two countries in the period of 2021-2025 and in 2025, agreed and concretized the instructions of high-ranking leaders into the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Plan Agreement in 2026 and will vigorously implement it from the beginning of the year to promote cooperation in all fields of politics, foreign affairs, defense-security, investment and trade.

The two sides will also strengthen complementary connections between the two economies of Vietnam and Laos, especially in transportation, energy, telecommunications, tourism, and have specific solutions to improve the effectiveness of investment cooperation, focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles in a number of investment projects of Vietnamese enterprises in Laos and Lao enterprises in Vietnam, moving towards overcoming delays and dispersion in investment, facilitating the development of trade between the two countries and accelerating two-way trade turnover, creating new changes in economic, educational, health and scientific and technological cooperation, promoting the development of economic and social infrastructure of Laos, especially connectivity infrastructure to promote economic development.

A number of specific contents were agreed upon at the meeting, such as the two sides highly appreciated and were pleased with the results of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in 2025, the two sides effectively implemented high-level agreements and agreements of ministries, branches and localities.

Delegates from the two countries attended the Vietnam-Laos Investment Promotion Conference 2025. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

The great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos are increasingly developing and deepening, with close trust, playing a core role in guiding the overall relationship between the two countries, closely cooperating in national defense and security, and effectively maintaining stability, order and social security in each country.

In the context of the world and regional economic situation continuing to face difficulties and declining consumer demand, bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and Laos made an impression with the total trade turnover in the first 10 months of 2025 exceeding 2.6 billion USD, an increase of 50.4% compared to 2024.

Regarding the direction of cooperation in the coming time, the two sides focused on agreeing to implement the contents of the Joint Statement and the agreements signed at the 48th Session; promote political, defense-security relations, create new breakthroughs in economic, trade and investment cooperation, in which there should be solutions to boost bilateral trade turnover to 5 billion USD in the near future and towards 10 billion USD in the coming time; implement new projects that are truly effective on the basis of exploiting and promoting each other's potential strengths to the fullest./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ky-hop-uy-ban-lien-chinh-phu-viet-lao-dat-nhieu-ket-qua-quan-trong-va-thiet-thuc-post1080801.vnp