Hanoi (VNA) – Lao Prime Mininister Thongloun Sisoulith and hisspouse will lead a high-ranking delegation from the Lao Government to visitVietnam from October 1-3.

The visit will be made at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said in a communiqué issued on September 25.

Vietnam and Laos have enjoyed a traditional friendship, special solidarity andthriving partnership in all fields.

Over the past years, political ties between the two countries have beenexpanded with stronger trust, playing the key role in bilateral relations. Thetwo sides have held regular meetings and delegation exchanges in all channels.

The bilateral partnership in defence, security and external affairs hasimproved with the close coordination in ensuring political stability, defenceand security in each country and building a shared border of peace, stabilityand development.

Along with the effective affiliationin implementing a project to upgrade the border marker system, Vietnam and Laoshave worked together to fight trans-border crimes, deal with undocumentedmarriage and free migration in the border areas and search and repatriate theremains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Laos, with 233 sets of remainsrepatriated in the 2017-2018 dry season.

Vietnam and Laos have regularly exchanged viewpoints on regional andinternational issues, while coordinating with and supporting each other atmultilateral cooperation forums, especially within the framework of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations.

Meanwhile, cooperation in economy, culture, education-training and science-technologyhas also developed.

By December 2018, Vietnam has invested in 409 projects worth 4.1 billion USD inLaos, mostly in hydropower, mining, industrial plant growing and services.Among the completed and operating projects are Xekaman 1 hydropower plant,Muong Thanh Vientiane Hotel, Crown Plaza and Viettel Laos.

Two new projects worth 12.81 million USD were approved in 2017, and eightothers with total capital of 95 million USD were licensed in 2018.

The two sides have implemented a new bilateral trade agreement, a border tradedeal and a revised protocol on goods transit, among others, while launching the“one door-one stop” at Lao Bao-Densavanh border gate.

Last year, two-way trade between the two countries was valued at about 1billion USD. Vietnam imported beverages, wood, mineral products and agriculturalproducts from Laos, while exporting oil and gas, fertiliser, steel, machines,electric equipment, construction materials and spare parts to the neighbouringcountry.

The Ministries of Transport of Vietnam and Laos signed a cooperation agreementfor 2016-2020, while conducting transport connection projects within bilateraland sub-regional cooperation frameworks. Vietnam and Laos have collaborated inimplementing two major projects, namely the Hanoi-Vientiane expressway with alength of about 725km and the Vung Ang-Tan Ap-Mu Gia-Thakhaek-Vientianerailway.

The two ministries have also signed a memorandum of understanding on developingthree wharfs at Vung Ang port, while speeding up the construction of Nongkhangairport in Houaphan province of Laos so the project can be completed in 2019 asscheduled.

In terms of education and training, the Ministry of Education and Training ofVietnam has handed over Vietnamese language textbooks from 1st to 12th gradesto Laos, which is being piloted at Nguyen Du school.

Vietnam has sent Vietnamese teachers to 28 establishments in 11 cities andprovinces of Laos, while supporting Laos in designing six education-trainingworks. In 2018, Vietnam granted 1,271 scholarships to Lao officials andstudents.

Bilateral ties between localities, especially those along the shared border,have also been expanded, especially in infrastructure, healthcare, personneltraining, poverty reduction and security./.