Vietnam - Laos continue to strengthen special relations and comprehensive cooperation

Photo caption — *Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith (right) receives Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on an official visit to Laos. Photo: Xuan Tu/VNA correspondent in Laos*

During the visit, on the afternoon of August 21 in the capital Vientiane, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan visited General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan expressed her joy at the official visit to Laos, sincerely thanked General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister of Laos Sonexay Siphandone for their special attention to the delegation, and respectfully conveyed the best regards and wishes of General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to Thongloun Sisoulith, Sonexay Siphandone and other senior leaders of Laos; congratulated the great and important achievements that Laos has achieved after nearly 40 years of renovation; expressed her belief that, under the wise leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party with Thongloun Sisoulith as General Secretary and President, the brotherly country of Laos will successfully implement the Resolution of the 11th Party Congress and successfully organize the 12th Party Congress, building Laos to be increasingly prosperous and strong.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan informed Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone about the recent situation in Vietnam; reported on the results of the substantive and effective talks with Vice President Pany Yathotou, through which the two sides reached a high consensus on measures to further strengthen the special relationship between the two countries in general, emphasizing the need to promote propaganda and education about the tradition of Vietnam - Laos relations among all walks of life, especially the young generation of the two countries.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan emphasized that with the strong direction of the Politburo of the two countries, especially the two General Secretaries, and the efforts of ministries and branches, in a short time, many key projects and strategic cooperation contents have been implemented, creating a new breakthrough in bilateral relations.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan expressed her respect and appreciation for the Lao Party and State's plan to organize a ceremony to recognize the relic "Truong Son Trail - Ho Chi Minh Trail on Lao soil" as a national historical relic of Laos, which continues to affirm the common historical value, showing respect and honoring the solidarity, close attachment, and pure loyalty between Vietnam and Laos; thanked and expressed her hope that the Lao Government would continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Laos to do business, live and stabilize their legal status.

General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith welcomed and highly appreciated the important significance of the official visit of Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan to Laos, contributing to further strengthening political trust and nurturing the special relationship between the two countries; congratulated the great, comprehensive and historic achievements that Vietnam has achieved in recent times; highly appreciated the results of cooperation between the two countries in recent times in many bright spots, notably the key strategic cooperation projects between the two sides that have been actively implemented; expressed special thanks for the great assistance that the Party and State of Vietnam have given to Laos up to now, emphasizing the value and significance that Vietnam has helped train human resources for Laos, demonstrated through projects of great significance, symbols of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos; highly agreed on the direction of cooperation in all fields, emphasizing that the two sides continue to closely coordinate to effectively implement high-level agreements between the two Parties and two States.

During the meeting with Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone emphasized that in the coming time, the two sides need to continue to closely coordinate and strengthen the connection between the two economies, especially through connecting infrastructure, finance, banking, and coordinating policies to make economic cooperation a main pillar in the special cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Laos; and suggested that the two sides continue to closely coordinate to find legal solutions to strengthen economic cooperation and increase two-way trade turnover.

At the afternoon meeting of the same day between Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou, the two sides informed each other about the situation of each Party and each country; discussed and assessed the cooperation situation between the two countries in recent times, highly appreciating the results of cooperation between the two countries in all fields of politics, security, defense, economy, trade, investment cooperation, cultural education, and people-to-people exchange, which are developing very well; emphasizing that the high-ranking leaders of the Party, State, Government, and National Assembly of the two countries regularly visit each other and attend major commemorative events in each country, which is vivid evidence of the solidarity, closeness, trust, and loyalty between the two peoples.

In particular, the Lao Vice President highly appreciated the close coordination between the two sides in ensuring security and order; the two countries' coordination and promotion for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize Hin Namno National Park as a transboundary World Natural Heritage, considering this a victory of the special Laos-Vietnam solidarity.

The two sides agreed that in the coming time, it is necessary to continue to well implement the signed high-level agreements, ensure the progress of key cooperation projects; agree to make efforts to raise the level of cooperation, strengthen the connection of the two economies, both hard connection (in terms of infrastructure) and soft connection (in terms of mechanisms and policies), towards the target of bilateral trade turnover reaching 5 billion USD; have preferential policies for large Vietnamese enterprises with strengths to invest in Laos; strengthen security and defense cooperation, including stepping up the fight against transnational crimes, drug trafficking, and cyber security; coordinate in searching for and collecting the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos; and jointly restore the monuments of the two countries' fighting alliance.

The two Vice Presidents of Vietnam and Laos emphasized that in the context of the challenging international and regional situation, the two sides need to maintain close cooperation, coordinate positions and support each other, especially within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms of which the two countries are members, actively contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Source: https://vpctn.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/hoat-dong-cua-pho-chu-tich-nuoc/viet-nam-lao-tiep-tuc-that-chat-quan-he-dac-biet-va-hop-tac-toan-dien.html