(KPL) Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is paying an official visit to the Lao PDR in response to the invitation of his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone.

Scheduled for Jan 11-12, Pham Minh Chinh’s visit aims to enhance the great relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister’s Laos visit includes his participation in the 45th Meeting of the Laos-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, to be held on Jan 12, and the closing ceremony of the celebration of Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year. 

Right after an official welcome ceremony held in his honour on Wednesday’s morning, the Vietnamese leader met with his host counterpart Sonexay Siphandone at the Prime Minister’s Office in Vientiane.

At the meeting, PM Sonexay expressed a warm welcome to the visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister noting that his visit and meeting demonstrated the profound friendship, close solidarity of the two fraternal Parties, states and peoples of Laos and Vietnam.

Expressing sincere thanks for the warm welcome from the government and people of Laos, the Vietnamese premier expressed sincere congratulations to his host counterpart on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Laos at the 4th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly’s 9th legislature on Dec 30, 2022.

Both sides highly valued the comprehensive cooperation between the two neighbours, the implementation of cooperation projects and bilateral agreements between senior leaders of the two countries in all areas over the past years, especially the cooperation on politics which continued to be strengthened, stable and diverse, enhancing mutual trust at high levels, with leaders of the two countries exchanging their visits at all levels on a regular basis.

They noted that the cooperation on national defence and public security as well as foreign affairs are increasingly promoted. Meanwhile cooperation on economy, trade, investment, education, health, information, culture, sports, tourism, and on mass organizations has been enhanced and bringing concrete benefits to peoples of the two countries.

The two leaders agreed to continue to work together to push ahead comprehensive cooperation in all areas especially in the fields of politics, defense and public security, foreign affairs, economy and trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, tourism, energy, clean agriculture, education, culture, health, science, among others.

Both sides also agreed to promote the education of the longstanding special solidarity between Laos and Vietnam among civil servants, general public and the youth of the two countries. They also exchanged points of view on regional and international issues of common interest.

Prime Minister Sonexay expressed on behalf of the Party, government and people of Laos his gratitude to the Party, government and people of Vietnam for their cooperation and priceless, prompt and effective assistance to the Lao PDR over the past years, both during the national liberation in the past and during the current time of national protection and development.

He expressed his readiness to work closely with the Vietnamese leader to strengthen the great relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two fraternal Parties, governments and peoples of Laos and Vietnam.

The two Prime Ministers also witnessed the signing of several agreements on cooperation on the establishment of economic diplomacy consultancy mechanism, research and training of diplomats and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos, digital partnership, personnel training, finance innovations, communications and water transport.

KPL