Lao leaders affirm giving priority to strengthening friendship, solidarity, cooperation with Vietnam
The Lao Party, State, and people always attach importance and give the highest priority to consolidating and strengthening the nation’s sound friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, stated Lao leaders while hosting visiting Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on April 28.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (L) and General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (Photo: VNA)
Vientiane (VNA) – The Lao Party, State, and peoplealways attach importance and give the highest priority to consolidating andstrengthening the nation’s sound friendship, special solidarity and comprehensivecooperation with Vietnam, stated Lao leaders while hosting visitingVietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on April 28.
The Vietnamese FM paid courtesy calls to General Secretary ofthe Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of LaosThongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavan, and President of the LaoNational Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane in the framework of his official visit to Laos.
Son informed the Lao leaders on the outcomes of the ninth foreignministerial-level political consultation co-chaired by him and his Laocounterpart Saleumxay Kommasith.
The Vietnamese minister affirmed that he will work closely with theLao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, competent agencies and localities to effectivelyimplement high-level agreements between the two countries and commitments madeat the 44th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee, as wellas to organise major events during the Vietnam-Laos andLaos-Vietnam Year of Solidarity and Friendship 2022.
Agreeing with Son on the importance of these tasks, Party General Secretary and President ThonglounSisoulith suggested the two countries increase the exchange of Partybuilding experience; further improve the efficiency and quality of theireconomic, trade and investment cooperation; and promote communications andeducation about their special solidarity especially for the young generations.
PM Phankham Viphavanh highlighted the need to maintain thesides’ high-level exchanges and contacts in various forms and expressed hiswish that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh would pay an official visit at a suitable time in the future.
The Lao PM requested the countries further coordinate toeffectively implement agreements reached at the 44th meeting and step up theconduction of their joint projects.
NA leader Xaysomphone Phomvihane said the Vietnamese and Laoparliaments have deepened their collaboration toward effectiveness. He agreed towork with the National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam to strengthen coordination andsupervision and create favourable conditions for the implementation of bilateralcooperation agreements between the two countries.
The Lao NA is eager to welcome Vietnamese NA Chairman VuongDinh Hue to Laos in the time to come, he said.
Son is on a three-day official visit to Laos, starting from April 27./.
The high-ranking leaders of Laos expressed their belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the Vietnamese people will continue to obtain new greater achievements in the renewal process and successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.
Officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Lao Front for National Development (LFND) discussed their cooperation in 2022 during an online meeting on April 26.
Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou compared notes on cooperation between Vietnam and Laos during talks in Hanoi on April 26.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith co-chaired the ninth foreign ministerial-level consultation meeting on April 28.
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the Central Public Security Party Committee must be fully aware of the extremely important role of the People's Public Security force in the country's new revolutionary phase, so as to guide each branch and level of the force as the nation undergoes transformation.
Addressing concerns over university education spending, Son explained that as public universities gain greater autonomy, the Ministry of Finance has scaled back recurrent state funding. “Over the past decade, as autonomy has increased, the State's support has steadily declined”, he noted
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed that the presence of Vietnamese press offices in Laos vividly demonstrates the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, as the press is not only a means of communication but also an important bridge for spreading consciousness about the history, values, and strategic depth of the Laos – Vietnam relationship to the people of both countries and the international community.
The country is willing to participate in collective efforts to promote cooperation and mobilise resources to advance the current priority issues of developing countries, such as trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, making the most of scientific and technological advances for development, and people-to-people exchanges, Hang said.
During the negotiations, the US highly evaluated Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts, affirmed its appreciation for the bilateral relationship, acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and concerns, and considered these an important basis for continuing discussions and moving towards a final agreement.
The Chairman stressed the need for stricter fiscal discipline, faster digital transformation, and more efficient management of State budget revenues and expenditures.
The ministry has instructed Vietnamese representative agencies in Israel, Iran, as well as those in neighbouring countries, to closely monitor the situation and request local authorities to ensure absolute safety for Vietnamese citizens living, studying, and working in high-risk areas.
Senior Vietnamese leaders on June 19 sent letters of congratulations to New Zealand leaders on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam – New Zealand diplomatic relations (June 19, 1975 – 2025).
The Party chief attributed the achievements in the first half to the continuous, direct, and comprehensive leadership of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, and the close and effective coordination of relevant ministries, sectors and localities.
General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the VPA’s General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defence reaffirmed Vietnam’s unwavering gratitude for Cuba’s invaluable support during its struggle for independence and nation-building efforts, and pledged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cuba as it navigates current challenges.
Vietnam is a country with which Russia shares a special relationship. In the 1950s and 60s, particularly during Vietnam’s struggle for independence, the two countries forged a deep bond. While much has changed over time, the friendship and cooperation between our nations have endured, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For 50 years, Vietnam and New Zealand have worked together to uphold peace and prosperity for their peoples and the region. The friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding Vietnam and New Zealand nurtured have grown from a seed into a deeply rooted, strong, and thriving tree, she stressed.
Since the Strategic Partnership was established in 2020, Vietnam and New Zealand have witnessed steady growth in the relations. Beyond the remarkable 40% increase in bilateral trade over five years, political relations and multilateral interactions, particularly within the CPTPP framework, have remained highly positive.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (L) and General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (Photo: VNA) 
