Vientiane (VNA) – Thegreat friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam have unceasingly grown in both scale and depth despite complicated developments in the regional and world situation, said asenior official of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

Sounthon Xayachak, member of theLPRP Central Committee and head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission forExternal Relations, made the affirmation in an interview granted to the VietnamNews Agency ahead of an official visit to Laos by General Secretary of theCommunist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President of VietnamNguyen Phu Trong, slated for February 24 and 25.

The official underlined that thebilateral political cooperation has been deepened and mutualtrust strengthened through the regular exchange of official and unofficial visits by Party,State, parliament leaders and officials of localities, agencies and sectors ofboth countries. Bilateral economic collaboration has made significant progress,with Vietnam among the top investors in Laos and bilateral trade value risingyear after year. The two countries have also promoted cooperation in externalaffairs, defence-security, education-sport, culture, healthcare, transport,science-technology, agriculture and other fields in a practical and result-orientedmanner, which contributed greatly to Laos’s socio-economic development.

Sounthon Xayachak stressed that the LaoParty and State feel honoured when Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and PresidentNguyen Phu Trong has selected Laos as the first country to visit after takingoffice as President of Vietnam.                                      

She added that the choice is notsurprising considering the close friendship, the special solidarity and thecomprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

“We believe that the Lao visitof the Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President will be a success andprovide a good opportunity for the highest leaders of the two Parties andStates to discuss partnerships in all areas, thus lifting our special ties to anew height,” she said.

In order to foster and developthe special ties between the two countries amidst unpredictable and complicatedchanges in the world situation, the Lao Party official said the two Parties andStates should pay more attention to educating the people, especially younggenerations, on the tradition and history of the special Laos-Vietnam ties, sothat they are aware of their own responsibility and task in preserving the preciousheritage left by the older generations.

The two countries should alsocontinue intensifying their cooperation and coordination in defence-securityand external affairs to defeat all attempts to undermine the Laos-Vietnamfriendship, while enhancing collaboration in economics, trade, investment,infrastructure, education, culture and other fields, she said.  

On behalf of the Party, Stateand people of Laos, Sounthon Xayachak took the occasion to express deep gratitude to theParty, Government and people of Vietnam for their valuable and timely supportfor Laos’s revolution cause. She wished the Vietnamese people greater successesin implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congressand the goal of “Rich people, strong, democratic, fair and civilized country.”-VNA