From cooperation to strategic engagement between Vietnam and Laos

General Secretary To Lam and Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith attended the inauguration of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Park. (Photo: VNA)

In the history of cooperation, Vietnam and Laos have maintained regular exchanges of visits between high-ranking leaders. The visit of General Secretary To Lam and his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation has profound political and historical significance. This is the first State visit to Laos by Comrade To Lam in his capacity as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam , taking place in the context of the Lao Party, State and people joyfully celebrating the 50th anniversary of National Day, the 105th anniversary of the birth of President Kaysone Phomvihane and on the eve of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

The visit aims to affirm the comprehensive support of the Party, State and people of Vietnam for the cause of innovation, protection and construction of Laos, adding more motivation for the Party, State and people of all ethnic groups in Laos, deepening and elevating the relationship in the new period. This is also an important occasion to widely propagate to all classes of people of the two countries, especially the young generation, to further enhance understanding and foster responsibility to preserve and promote the special solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

As two neighboring countries with a common border of over 2,000 km, both leaning on the majestic Truong Son mountain range and drinking the same Mekong River, Vietnam and Laos have a strong natural bond. As the two peoples have gone through great historical challenges to master their own destiny, that relationship has become increasingly close, constantly nurtured, becoming a special and great relationship. The Ho Chi Minh Trail (Truong Son Road) in Laos has been recognized as a National Historical Site of Laos and is a beautiful and meaningful symbol of the solidarity between the two countries during the period of national liberation struggle.

General Secretary To Lam affirmed: Solidarity and closeness are the source of Vietnam-Laos relations. Without that source of cohesion, Vietnam-Laos would just be two neighboring countries “standing side by side”. With the “solidarity” glue, the two countries become two peoples “standing together”, “side by side” in all stages of development.

During the visit, the leaders of the two countries assessed the results of bilateral cooperation and set out directions for developing a strategic, long-term relationship, aiming at the interests of the two peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. The two sides agreed to add the connotation of “strategic engagement” to elevate the relationship to meet the new requirements of the times.

Delivering a policy speech at the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the cradle of training generations of leaders and managers of the neighboring country, General Secretary To Lam clarified the direction of "strategic engagement" as bilateral engagement; sub-regional engagement, especially with the three Indochinese countries; regional and international engagement.

The General Secretary emphasized that in the current context, if the two countries only “cooperate”, it is not enough, but must raise the level from cooperation to “connection” because connection is strategic, has an overall design, has roles, and complements each other. The “key” to the new phase of strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos is to maintain strategic trust and attach great importance to the special solidarity that is consistent from beginning to end.

After nearly 40 years of innovation, Laos has achieved many great and comprehensive achievements. The economy has developed step by step and maintained a fairly good growth rate. In 2024, growth is expected to be 4.2% thanks to the strong recovery of foreign investment and a record increase in the number of tourists. GDP growth in the first 9 months of the year reached 4.3%, aiming for a GDP growth target of 4.5% in 2025. Infrastructure such as roads, housing, and office buildings are focused on investment, construction, and upgrading.

General Secretary To Lam and Lao 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. (Photo: VNA)

In its development orientation, Laos strives to turn a “landlocked country” into a “land-connected country”. With a strategic location between China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, Laos is investing heavily in road, railway and logistics infrastructure... to become a “bridge” between China and ASEAN. At the end of April 2025, the putting into operation of the third seaport - Laos-Vietnam International Port in Vung Ang Economic Zone (Ha Tinh) opened a new gateway to help Laos have a seaport, facilitating the import and export of goods by sea, enhancing economic competitiveness. This project also contributes to connecting Laos with the northeastern provinces of Thailand and other areas in the Mekong sub-region.

Currently, investors from 53 countries are investing in Laos and Laos has trade relations with 163 countries, territories and organizations around the world. Vietnam is one of the leading countries investing in Laos, with 274 investment projects with a total registered capital of 5.82 billion USD. Many projects are operating effectively, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, energy, mining, rubber and food processing. Vietnam's investment in Laos is increasing in a sustainable direction, reaching 322 million USD in the first 8 months of 2025 (6 times higher than the same period in 2024), focusing on energy, mining and transportation.

Cooperation in education and training, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange continues to receive attention and improvement in both quality and quantity. Laos and Vietnam have jointly proposed and received UNESCO recognition for Laos' Hin Nam No National Park as a transboundary World Natural Heritage along with Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park...

The Lao Party, State and people increasingly cherish the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, which was established by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong and has withstood the test of revolutionary fire for decades, becoming a priceless common heritage and the law of existence and development of the two countries.

Delivering a speech at the 50th Anniversary of Lao National Day, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith affirmed that Laos will continue to protect the revolutionary achievements, results and victories over the past 50 years; firmly adhere to the foreign policy of peace, independence, friendship and cooperation for development. Laos is determined to gradually resolve difficulties and escape from underdevelopment by 2026; strive to become a developed country with an upper middle income by 2055, the 100th anniversary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party...

With loyal, pure and deeply attached sentiments, Vietnam always values Laos' achievements and considers them as its own achievements. During the meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, General Secretary To Lam said that Vietnam always gives the highest priority to consolidating and strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos. In the coming time, the two countries will continue to maintain delegation exchanges and high-level contacts on all channels, and well organize the 48th Meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee, which will take place right after the High-level Meeting of the two Parties on December 2, to implement the results of high-level talks and high-level agreements between the two countries, including strategic connectivity, specifically strategic connectivity on development vision, connectivity of space and infrastructure, economic corridors, logistics, energy, and green transformation.

The two sides actively support each other in building an independent and self-reliant economy, enhancing the exchange of experiences in macroeconomic management and institutional reform; promoting more practical and effective economic cooperation, continuing to implement key cooperation projects, ensuring progress; promoting connectivity projects, especially in the fields of transport and energy; closely coordinating to resolve bottlenecks, creating conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to effectively implement and expand investment projects in Laos, making practical contributions to Laos' socio-economy...

The State visit to Laos by General Secretary To Lam and his wife along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, with many diverse activities of strategic significance and the expansion of the cooperative relationship between the two countries, has written new chapters in the history of Vietnam-Laos.

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