(KPL/VNA) Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting in Hanoi on September 10 with visiting Party General Secretary and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith who is leading a high-ranking delegation of the Lao Party and State on a State-level visit to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese PM underlined the significance of the Lao leader’s visit, calling it a milestone in bilateral ties which will help further deepen the Vietnam-Laos great solidarity, thus bringing prosperity to both countries and benefiting peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The two leaders expressed joy at the unceasing development of bilateral ties and reached high consensus on the orientation for bilateral cooperation in the time ahead. They stressed the need to continue working closely to implement high-level agreements and the outcomes of the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos inter-governmental committee as well as the State visit to Laos by President To Lam, along with cooperative programmes of ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries.

They agreed to increase the exchange of all-level delegations, promote defence-security cooperation as important pillars of the bilateral relationship, enhance the effectiveness of economic-trade ties and further facilitate investment and business of each other’s enterprises.

The leaders vowed that two countries will continue to support each other in building an independent and self-reliant economy while advancing international integration and further strengthening connectivity between the Vietnamese and Lao economies as well as among the three economies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, particularly connectivity in institutions, finance, transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and tourism.

They also concurred to focus efforts on removing obstacles in the implementation of key joint projects, and encourage educational, cultural, tourism, banking, labour cooperation and people to people exchange.

In the context of complicated developments in the international and regional situation, the two sides agreed to regularly exchange experience and information, coordinate closely and support each other at international and regional forums, particularly in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the UN and sub-regional mechanisms.

PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam will continue to coordinate with and do its utmost to assist Laos in fulfilling its heavy international missions in 2024, including the Chair of the ASEAN.

The Lao leader took the occasion to extend sincere sympathies to people in localities affected by the devastating Super Typhoon Yagi, noting his belief that under the leadership of the Vietnamese Party and Government, the Vietnamese people will rise over the difficulties and return to normal life.

KPL