Solemn welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his wife in the capital Vientiane

(Dan Tri) - This morning, in the capital Vientiane, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife hosted the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his wife on a State visit to the Lao PDR.

On the morning of December 1, the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on a state visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, to attend the 50th anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic's National Day and co-chair the high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party took place solemnly at the Presidential Palace according to the highest protocol reserved for heads of state.

General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife presided over the welcoming ceremony.

Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and General Secretary To Lam review the Lao People's Army's Guard of Honor (Photo: Thong Nhat - VNA).

The motorcade carrying General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, entered the Presidential Palace to the warm welcome of many students and people of Vientiane in traditional costumes of the Lao ethnic people with the flags of the two countries in their hands.

Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith came to the car door to welcome General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation.

After receiving a bouquet of flowers from children for General Secretary To Lam and his wife, Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith invited General Secretary To Lam to step up to the podium of honor. The military band played the national anthems of Vietnam and Laos.

Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith invited General Secretary To Lam to review the guard of honor.

Next, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and General Secretary To Lam cordially greeted and introduced officials from the two countries present at the welcoming ceremony.

General Secretary To Lam and Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith held a closed-door meeting (Photo: Thong Nhat - VNA).

During the visit, General Secretary To Lam is expected to hold talks with Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith; meet with Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane; visit former senior Lao leaders; attend the 50th National Day celebration; lay wreaths at the Monument to Unknown Soldiers; deliver policy speeches at the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration and a number of other activities; co-chair the high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party...

During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign a number of important cooperation documents, creating a legal corridor, opening up new cooperation directions, in accordance with the development requirements of each country and the common interests of the two peoples, continuing to deepen the special Vietnam-Laos relationship in the new situation.

The rich and meaningful activities during this visit will continue to consolidate and affirm the high-level common awareness between the leaders of the two countries, emphasizing that the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos are invaluable assets, important and core factors for the special friendship relationship "Vietnam and Laos, our two countries; Love is deeper than the Red River and Mekong River" as President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed.

Recently, in addition to strengthening cooperation in politics, defense and security, the two sides have also made efforts to raise the level, create breakthroughs and make strong changes in economic cooperation, especially effectively implementing key projects connecting the two economies, especially in transportation (including highways and railways), energy, trade, investment, training and development of high-quality human resources and building sustainable supply chains.

Trade and investment cooperation continues to record positive changes, with turnover in the first 10 months of 2025 reaching nearly 2.5 billion USD, an increase of 50.4% compared to 2024, making Vietnam the third largest trade partner of Laos, aiming for a target of 5 billion USD and striving to reach 10 billion USD in the coming time.

Regarding investment, Vietnam currently has 274 investment projects in Laos with a total registered capital of over 5.8 billion USD. A number of projects connecting transport infrastructure put into use are new steps in strategic linkages in development space, contributing to the development of the two countries in the near future.

Other areas of cooperation such as education and training, culture, transportation, energy, agriculture, etc. continue to be promoted and achieved many encouraging results. People-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities of the two countries are increasingly expanding, contributing to enhancing understanding and solidarity between the people of the two countries, especially the young generation.

* Earlier the same day, right after arriving in Vientiane (Laos), General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, laid a wreath at the Monument to Unknown Soldiers in Vientiane, commemorating and paying tribute to the outstanding sons of the Lao people who fell in the cause of liberating, protecting and building Laos.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/thoi-su/le-don-trong-the-tong-bi-thu-to-lam-va-phu-nhan-tai-thu-do-vieng-chan-20251201134503176.htm