Hanoi (VNA) ♈– Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a reception for Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Hanoi on May 16.

The Party chief warmly welcomed the Lao high-level government delegation’s visit to Vietnam and underlined its significance to deepening the traditional friendship, special solidarity and all-around cooperation between the two countries. He congratulated Laos on its remarkable, historical and comprehensive achievements gained over the past 30 years of renovation as well as the successful organisation of the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and elections of deputies to the 8th National Assembly. The Party leader conveyed his congratulations to Thongloun Sisoulith on his election as the new Lao PM, confirming Vietnam strongly supports the Lao renovation and believes that under the leadership of the LPRP and the Lao Government, Lao people will continue to reap more significant achievements in the renewal process, implement successfully the Resolution adopted at the 10 th Congress and the five-year social-economic development plan, and build Laos into a country of peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity towards socialism. He suggested the two Governments closely coordinate in directing ministries, localities and businesses to proactively and actively realise the outcomes of the official friendly visit to Vietnam by Lao General Secretary and President Bounnhang Volachit and the cooperation contents agreed at the 38th session of Vietnam-Laos intergovernmental committee. The two sides are expected to increase the exchange of information and experience in Party building and socio-economic management, enhance collaboration in security-defence and external affairs, and promptly extricate difficulties to ensure the progress and quality of Vietnam’s investment projects in Laos, he said. He urged both nations to increase two-way trade and forge links in economics, transport infrastructure and energy; while improving the quality of education, training and human resources. For his part, the Lao PM expressed his delight to pay an official visit to Vietnam in his new position. He extended the best regards from Lao General Secretary and President Bounnhang Volachit to the Vietnamese Party chief and congratulated Vietnam on its significant attainments in the Doi Moi (renewal) process. He was confident that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Vietnamese people will gain more remarkable achievements and soon become a modern and industrialised society. He thanked Vietnam for the valuable assistance given to Laos in the past and at present. The Lao PM informed the host about the outcomes of his talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other Vietnamese leaders. He confirmed that the Lao Government will closely work with their Vietnamese counterparts to implement effectively the contents of the Vietnam-Laos Joint Statement issued in April 2016, as well as the bilateral cooperation agreements reached by the two Parties and Governments. Both host and guest expressed their delight at the thriving traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, which not only benefits people in the respective countries but also makes an active contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.-VNA