ຂປລ
(KPL) An official meeting was held today in Vientiane between General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and State President, Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, and President of Vietnam, Mr. To Lam.
President Thongloun Sisoulith (R) meets President of Vietnam, Mr. To Lam in Vientiane on July 11
(KPL) An official meeting was held today in Vientiane between General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and State President, Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, and President of Vietnam, Mr. To Lam.
During the meeting, President Thongloun Sisoulith congratulated President To Lam on his recent election as President of Vietnam by the National Assembly of Vietnam at its 7th session in late May.
He warmly welcomed President To Lam, appreciating that Laos was his first official visit as President, reflecting the importance the Vietnamese Party and State place on the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.
President Thongloun extended warm regards and best wishes to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, other Party and State leaders, and people of Vietnam.
The two leaders briefed each other on the socio-economic development in their respective countries. They discussed and evaluated their bilateral cooperation over recent years, future cooperation plans, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Both expressed unanimous appreciation for the overall cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.
They noted that political and diplomatic cooperation remains strong and increasingly close. Regular exchange of high-level visits and meetings at all levels has built mutual trust between the two countries.
Defense and security cooperation continues to be enhanced, with effective collaboration addressing evolving situations to turn the Laos-Vietnam border into a border of peace and sustainable development.
Economic, trade, investment, technology, cultural-social, educational, tourism, and other forms of cooperation have steadily increased, benefiting the people of both countries. Cooperation between ministries, sectors, localities, and mass organizations, as well as people-to-people exchange, are getting closer and more effective.
Both sides planned future cooperation to further enhance and strengthen comprehensive cooperation in all areas, including political, diplomatic, defense and security, economic, trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, technology, cultural-social, educational, tourism, and other fields.
President Thongloun, on behalf of the Party, State, and Lao people, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam for their invaluable, timely, and effective assistance during Laos' national liberation cause and in its current times of national development and protection, especially for Vietnam’s provision of technical and financial assistance, equipment, and vehicles on the occasion of the Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2024.
President Thongloun expressed his belief that the successful visit by Comrade To Lam to the Lao PDR will significantly enhance the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, governments, and peoples of Laos and Vietnam. President To Lam expressed sincere gratitude for the cordial remarks and warm, fraternal welcome from President Thongloun Sisoulith, the government, and people of Laos.
He reaffirmed Vietnam's full support for the Lao PDR's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.
Following the bilateral meeting, the Lao and Vietnamese Presidents witnessed the signing of seven documents, including three inter-government agreements namely: a memorandum of understanding between the Ministries of Public Security of Laos and Vietnam on the establishment of a civil and identification card management system in the Lao PDR; an extradition agreement; and a 2024 cooperation plan between the Ministries of Justice of the Lao PDR and Vietnam.
The four business agreements include: a memorandum of understanding on civil aviation cooperation between the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of the Lao PDR and VietJet; 1st amendment to the concession agreement for the Sekong 3 Hydropower Project between the Lao government and the Sekong 3 Power Company; 1st amendment to the agreement on bauxite exploration and processing and the construction of an aluminum production facility in Dakcheung, Sekong Province between the Lao government and Viet Phuong Group; and 1st amendment to the agreement on antimony exploration and survey between the Lao government and the Green Peace Holdings Joint Stock Company.
The two Presidents also officially launched the development of a civil and identification card database with the participation of high-level delegations and relevant officials of both countries.
The top leaders also performed a handover of 20 VinFast electric cars, considered as a gift from the Party, government and people of Vietnam for their Lao counterparts, to support the Lao PDR in hosting ASEAN events in 2024.
KPL