Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking officials of Vietnam, is visiting the Lao PDR in response to the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President Thongloun Sisoulith.
(KPL) Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking officials of Vietnam, is visiting the Lao PDR in response to the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President Thongloun Sisoulith.
Scheduled for Apr 10-11, the visit aims to enhance the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.
A welcome ceremony in honour of the visiting Vietnamese president was held at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane on Monday’s morning by President Thongloun.
A bilateral meeting between the two top leaders was held right after the welcome ceremony. Expressing a warm welcome to his Vietnamese counterpart, President Thongloun appreciated the Vietnamese President for his appointment to the post and for choosing the Lao PDR as his first oversea visit, noting that the visit demonstrates the importance the Vietnamese Party and government have attached to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.
President congratulated the achievements in national development Vietnam has made over the past years, which have allowed Vietnam to enjoy political stability, high economic growth and Vietnamese people to live a better life. Meanwhile Vietnam’s role and reputation has been rising in the regional and international arena.
Both sides briefed each other about the socio-economic development in their respective countries, and shared a common point of view that the political relations between the two countries have continued to be stable and increasingly closely knit bringing about high mutual trust between the two neighbours.
cooperation on national defense, public security, external affairs, economy, trade, investment, technology, culture, and education has been increasingly promoted and bringing concrete benefits to peoples of the two countries.
Both sides highly valued the achievements of the bilateral meeting between Lao and Vietnamese prime ministers and the 45th session of the Laos-Vietnam Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation in January where both sides noted that the two countries have made joint efforts in facilitating investment, trade and transport between the two countries and recorded greater-than-expected achievements with bilateral trade reaching US$ 1.7 billion in 2022, a rise of 10% year on year.
As for February, the bilateral trade between the two countries reached 145 million US dollars, an increase of 36% year on year.
There are 239 projects of Vietnamese investment with a total capital of 5.36 billion US dollars, making Vietnam the third largest investor in the Lao PDR.
Both sides also discussed cooperation directions for years to come and agreed to continue to implement the agreements reached by senior leaders of the two countries, especially the results of the meeting between the two Politburos and the agreements of the Laos-Vietnam Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation.
Both sides noted that the grant funding from the Vietnamese government have been used effectively in various areas.
Notably, in 2022, the two countries celebrated two historic days including the 60th anniversary of diplomatic tiesand the 45th anniversary of the signing of Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
Both sides expressed their commitment to nurturing, protecting and deepening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam which is blossoming and at the top level.
They agreed to strengthen cooperation on politics, attach attention to coordination on strategic issues, and promote visit exchange and meeting between senior leaders of the Parties, governments and mass organizations.
They agreed to continue to improve the effectiveness of their joint mechanisms including the meeting between the two Politburos, the meeting of the Laos-Vietnam Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation; further coordinate on preparation for the 10th Laos-Vietnam Party Seminar; and promote the education of the traditional solidarity among civil servants and people, especially among the youth of the two countries.
President Thongloun expressed on behalf of the Party, government and people of the Lao PDR sincere gratitude to the fraternal Party, government and people of Vietnam for their great, priceless, prompt and effective support and assistance to Laos for its national liberation cause in the past and its national protection and development in current times.
This includes the Vietnam-funded construction and upgrading of President Ho Chi Minh memorial in Khammuan, Laos-Vietnam Model Vocational Secondary School Project in Khammuan, Xaysomboun Provincial Sergeant School Project, Nam Long Irrigation Upgrade and Renovation Project in Sobbao, Huaphan, and the construction of Boun Neua District Secondary School in Phongsaly.
Since 2010, more than 14,600 Lao students have graduated from Vietnam. Meanwhile more than 14,000 Lao students are studying in the neighbouring country.
The Vietnamese President affirmed that Vietnam will do its utmost to help the Lao PDR chair ASEAN in 2024 and invited the Lao leader to pay an official visit to Vietnam at his convenience.
The Lao and Vietnamese leaders also witnessed the signing of two documents: a Memorandum of Understanding on Technology and Innovation Cooperation between the Ministry of Technology and Telecommunications of Laos and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Memorandum of Understanding on Science Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam.
On the same day, the Vietnamese President and his delegation also placed a wreath at Monument of Unknown Soldiers in Vientiane to pay respect to the heroes who scarified for the nation and people during wartime.
Source: Lao News Agency