(KPL) Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, held a bilateral meeting with Le Hoai Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, on April 28 in Brunei Darussalam.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting.

During the meeting, Mr. Thongsavanh congratulated his Vietnamese counterpart on his reappointment as Foreign Minister during the inaugural session of Vietnam’s 16th National Assembly. On behalf of the Lao Party, Government and multi-ethnic people, he also expressed sincere gratitude to Vietnam for its valuable, timely and effective assistance, particularly during periods of energy shortages in Laos.

Mr. Le Hoai Trung, in turn, congratulated Mr. Thongsavanh on his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR during the inaugural session of the 10th National Assembly of Laos.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, as well as the strategic partnership between the two countries. They noted with satisfaction the continued development of bilateral relations across all sectors, including politics, national defense and security, and economic cooperation.

The ministers highlighted progress in economic ties and expressed their determination to increase bilateral trade to between 5 billion and 10 billion U.S. dollars over the next five years, in line with directions set by top leadership.

They also commended the regular exchange of high-level visits and the effective implementation of agreements reached by the two Politburos. In addition, both sides recognized the outcomes of the 48th Meeting of the Laos–Vietnam Cooperation Committee, which focuses on strengthening economic connectivity and advancing key strategic infrastructure projects.

The two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination between their foreign ministries to ensure the effective implementation of cooperation agreements. They also discussed preparations for upcoming mechanisms, including the 13th ministerial-level political consultation to be hosted by Laos and the 11th deputy ministerial-level consultation to be hosted by Vietnam.

Both sides further exchanged views on preparations for future high-level visits, including an upcoming official visit by the Prime Minister of the Lao PDR to Vietnam.

KPL