Category: Politics

Vice President of the Lao PDR, Mr Bounthong Chitmany, paid a courtesy call to President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Vientiane as the latter was on his two-day official visit to the Lao PDR.

At the cordial talks, Vice President Bounthong congratulated President Nguyen Xuan Phuc upon leading a high-level delegation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to visit the Lao PDR, which had brought warm friendship and deep solidarity to the Party, Government and people of Laos.

He said that the visit reaffirmed the attention the Party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam had attached to deepening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam thus bringing concrete benefits to the people of the two nations.

The vice president sincerely congratulated President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his appointment to the post at the first working session of the 15th-tenure National Assembly of Vietnam and choosing the Lao PDR for his first overseas trip in his capacity as President of Vietnam.

Source: Lao News Agency

Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son have pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.

Mr Saleumxay met his Vietnamese counterpart in Vientiane on Aug 9 when the Vietnamese minister was accompanying Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc for his official visit to the Lao PDR between Aug 9-10.

Both sides highly valued the close collaboration between the Lao and Vietnamese Ministries of Foreign Affairs which has resulted in the successful conclusion of the presidential visit.

They noted that the cooperation between the two ministries of foreign affairs of Laos and Vietnam has grown strong and effective.

The host and his guest pledged to urge relevant ministries, sectors and provinces to attach attention to implementing the documents the two ministries have signed and to urge relevant departments under their ministries to attach attention to implementing the cooperation agreement between the two ministries for 2021-2025 period and prepare for a review meeting on the trial of single-window inspection at the Savan-Lao Bao border gate.

They also discussed preparations for the opening of Dakta-ok border gate in Xekong and the deputy-minister-level political consultation meeting which will be hosted virtually by the Lao side by the end of this month and preparations for the official visit to Vietnam by the Lao Foreign Minister and his participation in the 8th ministerial-level political consultation meeting in late 2021. The meeting will allow the ministers to discuss, among other topics, preparations for the celebration Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year in 2022 and two historic days – the 60th anniversary of Laos-Vietnam diplomatic ties and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Source: Lao News Agency

Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President Thongloun Sioulith and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc have reaffirmed their commitment to give top priority to strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The Vietnamese President is on a two-day official visit (Aug 9-10) to the Lao PDR in response to the invitation of the Party Secretary General and State President Thongloun Sisoulith.

At a bilateral meeting in Vientiane on Monday, the two leaders noted that the two countries have demonstrated an unchangeable commitment to help each other in national development as this has been proved with concrete outcomes of bilateral cooperation, especially in politics, security, external affairs, economic and trade, investment, science and technology, education, and social and cultural areas.

Party Secretary General and President Thongloun Sisoulith and Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc pledged to work together to promote cooperation between Laos and Vietnam through continuing the exchange of delegations at all levels and promoting the implementation of the documents signed by the leaders of the two countries.

Both leaders expressed their commitment to continue strengthening cooperation on national defence and public security to ensure the two neighbours can cope with new challenges.

Secretary General and President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed thanks to the Vietnamese President for choosing the Lao PDR for his first overseas visit noting that his visit demonstrated the attention the Party, State and people of Vietnam pay to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, extending the goodwill, friendship, close solidarity of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to the Party, State and people of Laos thus giving the Lao PDR encouragement to continue to cope with difficulties it is facing and enhancing the special fraternal relations.

The top leader of the Lao PDR expressed sincere gratitude for the assistance the Party, State and people of Vietnam have extended to the Lao PDR to support infrastructure development, training, emergency assistance noting that such assistance bears material and spiritual value to the Lao people.

The host also expressed gratitude to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for dispatching in a prompt and effective manner doctors, experts and medical equipment to Laos to support its fight against Covid-19.

Both host and guest agreed to urge relevant ministries and agencies of the two countries to attach attention to strengthening cooperation on projects related to infrastructural integration, tourism, energy, clean agriculture noting that these areas are potential in their respective countries and are likely to become a fundamental foundation for their regional integration efforts and an economic driving force of the two countries in the future.

These include Vientiane-Hanoi express way project, Road No. 8 upgrading project, Vientiane-Vung Ang Railway project, a potassium mining and processing project, Vung Ang Port project, Nongkhang Airport project, and an electricity trade project.

The two leaders also agreed to celebrate 2022 as Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year, the 60th anniversary of Laos-Vietnam diplomatic ties, and the 45th anniversary of Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Both sides also pledged to continue to support each other in contributing to the protection of regional and international peace, stability and prosperity.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents between the two countries’ ministries, sectors and enterprises in the fields of defence, security, drug prevention and control, search and rescue, electricity trading, and mineral exploration, exploitation and processing.

Source: Lao News Agency

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is paying a two-day visit to the Lao PDR (Jul 6-7).

He met with his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith in Vientiane on Jul 7 to review cooperation under a bilateral and multilateral frameworks over the past years.

Both ministers noted that the relations have been strengthened constantly on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual assistance, longstanding friendship and cooperation.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of Laos-Russia Declaration on Strategic Partnership in the Asia Pacific Region.

Both sides agreed to promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas namely economic and trade, investment, energy, education, national defense, science and technology, and tourism.

Both sides highly valued their cooperation under the Asean-Russia framework noting that Russia has provided assistance to ASEAN in various areas including politics and security, economics, and social and cultural areas, anti-transnational crime efforts, trade and investment, energy and disaster prevention thus enabling ASEAN to better cope with challenges and promote development in the region.

They also expressed support to each other in tackling international issues and challenges.

On this occasion, Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith expressed on behalf of the government of the Lao PDR heartfelt gratitude to the priceless assistance the government and people of Russia has provided to Laos over the past years especially on human resource development, military technology, humanitarian aid, covid-19 test equipment, and Sputnik V vaccine.

The Russian Foreign Minister also pinned a Friendship Medal on Minister Saleumxay in recognition of his active contribution to strengthening the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Laos and Russia and the Laos-Russia Strategic Partnership in recent years.

The visiting Russian Minister also paid a courtesy call to President Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on the same day.

Source: Lao News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoun received in Vientiane on Jun 29 German Ambassador to the Lao PDR Mr. Jens Peter Lütkenherm on the occasion of his fulfillment of diplomatic mission in the Lao PDR.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo appreciated the ambassador’s fulfillment of diplomatic mission and active contribution to enhancing the relations and cooperation between Laos and Germany in the past four years.

The host also spoke highly of the ambassador’s active role in mobilising assistance and support from the German government for the socio-economic development, mainly on rural development, vocational training, as well as for Covid-19 fight in the Lao PDR.

He also wished Ambassador Lütkenherm a safe trip home and success in his new tasks.

Source: Lao News Agency

The Lao PDR and the Kingdom of Morocco signed on 25th June in Bangkok, Thailand a bilateral agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports, as well as a memorandum of understanding between the Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Institute of Foreign Affairs of Laos.

The two documents were signed, respectively on behalf of the Lao Government by Seng Soukhathivong, Ambassador of Laos to Thailand, and on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco by the Ambassador of His Majesty the King to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, Abdelilah El Housni.

This visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports is intended to ensure the mutual exemption of visa during the entry, transit and stay in the other country for a period not exceeding 30 days, for the nationals holding these types of passports and whose validity exceeds six months.

With the signing of this agreement, the four accreditation countries covered by the embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Bangkok are now bound by Visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports (Thailand in 2015, Myanmar and Cambodia in 2017 and Laos in 2021).

Regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between the Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Institute of Foreign Affairs of Laos, it aims to establish mutually beneficial cooperation between the two institutions in terms of training and research, by offering the appropriate frame of reference for the organization of diplomacy training sessions for the benefit of young diplomats from both countries, as well as the exchange of experiences and publications in several areas, including diplomatic training.

This MoU will constitute a cooperation mechanism between the two institutions and will serve as a basis for the consolidation of previous actions, such as the special training session organized in 2015 by the Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies and in coordination with the Moroccan International Cooperation Agency for the benefit of 15 Lao diplomats.

The signing of the two documents constitutes an important step in strengthening the positive dynamic which has marked exchanges between the two countries over the past few years and marks the desire to further enhance bilateral relations as well as the need to enrich and expand cooperation.

The signing of these documents is part of the effective implementation of the will of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to move forward in the consolidation of relations between Morocco and Laos at the bilateral and regional level.

It also testifies to the determination of the Kingdom to diversify its partnerships with ASEAN countries in general and with Laos in particular through the establishment of legal frameworks with the aim of enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Source: Lao News Agency