Hanoi (VNA)🅺 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith looked into preparations for the upcoming 47th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee at their working session in Hanoi on December 31.

Son affirmed the importance and highest priority Vietnam gives to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, and noted his belief that Kommasith’s visit will yield positive outcomes. For his part, Kommasith thanked the Party, State, and people of Vietnam for their constant support for Laos over the years, especially as Laos has faced economic and financial challenges. He emphasised that the assistance reflects their unique, loyal, and deeply trusted relationship. The official said his visit is to work with the Vietnamese side to review and finalise preparations for the upcoming Vientiane meeting, to be co-chaired by the two PMs, adding the work has been done, with several issues settled through consensus by the two sides. Kommasith shared insights from his visit to a Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), saying he would like to learn more about this cooperation model as well as Vietnam’s experience in tapping potential and strengths for development towards establishing a Laos - Vietnam Industrial Park to attract more Vietnamese investments into his country, particularly in the processing industry. The two Deputy PMs looked into cooperation projects, including those in transport infrastructure such as the Hanoi - Vientiane Expressway, and agreed to thoroughly address obstacles and complete legal procedures to facilitate their implementation. They also discussed the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Park project in Laos, expected to be completed within approximately one year under a turnkey model. Regarding preparations for the 47th meeting, Son said the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked with protocol, logistics, and communications activities, while the Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for coordinating the meeting, including its agenda and content. Both ministries will work closely with their Lao counterparts to ensure the best possible results for the event. He said Vietnam attaches great importance to the meeting between the two PMs and the two countries' businesses, and that Vietnam will invite major enterprises to the function, enabling them to engage in exchanges. Son urged relevant ministries and agencies to work with their Lao counterparts to untangle knots and complete legal procedures for cooperation projects to ensure they are completed on time. The host official suggested Deputy PM Kommasith instruct the Lao side to closely coordinate with Vietnam, including the Ministry of Transport, the Commission for Management of State Capital at Enterprises, and the People's Committee of the central province of Ha Tinh, to accelerate the implementation of key projects such as Vung Ang Port and road and rail links to the port. The procedures should be completed as soon as possible, he said./.