The General Secretary and President of Laos successfully concluded his State visit to Vietnam.

On the morning of September 12th, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, along with his wife and the high-level delegation of the Lao Party and State, departed Ho Chi Minh City, successfully concluding their State visit to Vietnam.

Photo caption — General Secretary and President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City). Photo: Xuan Khu/VNA

Seeing off the General Secretary and President of Laos, his wife, and the delegation at Tan Son Nhat International Airport were: Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen; Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Head of the Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department Le Hoai Trung; and Deputy Head of the Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department Nguyen Minh Tam.

During his State visit to Vietnam, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife, along with a high-level delegation from the Lao Party and State, laid wreaths at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh and at the Monument to the Martyrs on Bac Son Street, Hanoi .

At the Presidential Palace, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife presided over the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, his wife, and the high-level delegation of the Lao Party and State, held solemnly with the highest protocol reserved for heads of state. Immediately after the official welcoming ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith. General Secretary and President To Lam and General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith co-chaired the High-Level Meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. This is an important cooperation mechanism in the relationship between the two Parties and two countries, contributing to strengthening and further deepening the special solidarity between the two Parties, two States, and peoples of Vietnam and Laos. General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife hosted a grand reception to welcome General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife, along with the high-level delegation of the Lao Party and State. During his State visit to Vietnam, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. During his State visit, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith also met with former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; former Presidents Nguyen Minh Triet and Truong Tan Sang; and received the delegation from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Vietnam Friendship Association. General Secretary and President To Lam and General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, along with high-ranking leaders of the Vietnamese and Lao Parties and States, met with former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, experts, and students in Laos, as well as representatives of the younger generation of Vietnam and Lao students studying in Vietnam. General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith visited and worked in Ho Chi Minh City. During General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith's state visit to Vietnam, both sides briefed each other on the situation of their respective Parties and countries, including Party building and socio-economic development; exchanged views on international and regional situations and issues of mutual interest; assessed the results of cooperation between the two Parties and countries in the past; and agreed on major directions for Vietnam-Laos cooperation in the future.

The two General Secretaries and Presidents congratulated the people of both countries on the important and historically significant achievements they have made in the process of reform and in implementing the resolutions of each Party's Congress; expressed gratitude for the sincere and heartfelt assistance that the two Parties, two countries, and two peoples have given each other throughout history; emphasized the historical tradition of solidarity, close ties, and mutual assistance; and affirmed that the Vietnam-Laos relationship is an invaluable common asset of the two nations, an objective necessity, and the greatest source of strength for the two Parties, two States, and two peoples, which needs to be further developed, preserved, and passed on to future generations. General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that, as always, the Vietnam-Laos relationship is a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith affirmed that under any circumstances, Laos will work with Vietnam to consolidate, preserve, and cultivate the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, ensuring its continued growth and fruitful results for the practical benefit of the people of each country, and for peace , stability, and development in the region and the world. General Secretary and President To Lam and General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed their joy and appreciation for the increasingly deep and broad cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, achieving practical results in various fields, making important contributions to socio-economic development, strengthening national defense and security, ensuring political stability and social order in each country; and continuing to consolidate and strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. The two leaders also expressed their pleasure at the increasingly positive development of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relations and highly valued and wished to promote cooperation among the three Parties and three countries, including the successful implementation of the results of the meeting between the three leaders of the three Parties as well as other trilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Attending the High-Level Meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone highly appreciated the results of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economics , trade, investment, culture, education, science and technology. They also proposed several directions for cooperation and specific measures to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation. The two Prime Ministers emphasized the need to create breakthroughs in economic and trade development to match the stature of the political relationship and the potential and strengths of each country, focusing on resolving outstanding issues in cooperation, promoting connectivity and complementarity between the Vietnamese and Lao economies, and between the three economies of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

The General Secretary and President of Laos expressed his wish that the Lao National Assembly and the Vietnamese National Assembly continue to exchange and share lessons learned in fulfilling their assigned functions, tasks, and powers, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation between the two legislative bodies and contributing to raising the status of the National Assembly, making it worthy of being the highest state power organ and the highest representative body of the people of each country. National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man affirmed that he and the National Assembly will continue to do their utmost to cultivate the existing good relationship between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between the two National Assemblies in particular, for the benefit of the people of both countries, and to continuously consolidate and strengthen the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos. The leaders of the two parties and two countries agreed that in the coming period, it is necessary to actively implement the key orientations agreed upon by the leaders of both sides, continue to deepen political relations, which will be the core of the overall cooperative relationship; closely coordinate on strategic issues, and jointly prepare for the successful organization of Party congresses at all levels leading to the National Congress of each Party; and further strengthen and promote the pillar of cooperation in defense and security. The leaders of both sides agreed to enhance timely information exchange, consultation, close coordination, and mutual support at international and regional forums; effectively implement the Vietnam-Laos Joint Statements and agreements between the two parties and two states, cooperation programs between ministries, sectors, and localities, and strengthen the connectivity and complementarity between the two economies; and take measures to overcome difficulties and obstacles, and improve the quality and effectiveness of investment cooperation. At the same time, the two sides agreed to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between Party and State agencies, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations, people's organizations, and localities, expanding direct cooperation and mutual support in socio-economic development, and maintaining security and stability in the border region. Both sides affirmed the need to effectively utilize existing mechanisms, continue to innovate and improve the effectiveness of cooperation in various fields, and build new, appropriate mechanisms to further strengthen the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, for the practical benefit of the people of each country, and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. During the visit, Mrs. Naly Sisoulith, wife of the General Secretary and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, visited Mrs. Ngo Thi Man, wife of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and offered incense in remembrance of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of the General Secretary and President of Vietnam, and Mrs. Naly Sisoulith, wife of the General Secretary and President of Laos, visited the Birla Children's Village in Hanoi. During the visit, the two sides issued a "Vietnam-Laos Joint Statement." Both sides agreed to continue promoting and enhancing effective cooperation between Party committees, government ministries and agencies, National Assembly bodies, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations, people's organizations, and localities of the two countries, especially those sharing a common border. They also agreed to actively exchange information, share experiences, provide mutual assistance and support for development, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, especially among the younger generations of the two countries. Both sides agreed and highly appreciated the positive results of the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and the State visit to Laos by Comrade To Lam in his capacity as President in July 2024, which are milestones in the history of Vietnam-Laos relations, making an important contribution to consolidating and nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos to develop to a new level, for the prosperity of the people of both countries, and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Diep Truong (VNA)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/chinh-tri/tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-nuoc-lao-ket-thuc-tot-dep-chuyen-tham-cap-nha-nuoc-den-viet-nam-20240913102051991.htm