On November 3, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung met with Lao National Assembly Chairman Sonexay Siphandone. The Vietnamese prime minister thanked the Lao Party and state leaders and people for their special sentiments and for the formal, warm and considerate reception during his official visit to Laos in October.
Le Minh Hung said Vietnam always gives its relations with Laos the highest priority. He said Vietnam would coordinate closely with the Lao government and relevant agencies to turn the shared understanding and commitments of the two countries' senior leaders into practical cooperation programmes and projects. The sides will regularly review progress, remove difficulties in time and ensure that the agreements they have reached are implemented effectively.
The prime minister called for stronger coordination between the two countries' parliaments and governments, and for the parliaments to help complete the legal framework and oversee cooperation programmes and projects. He praised the joint parliamentary monitoring mechanism for high-level agreements and strategic cooperation projects. In his assessment, the mechanism was a meaningful new development that would improve the implementation of the two governments' commitments and strengthen strategic trust between the two countries.
Le Minh Hung said the two sides needed a breakthrough in economic, trade and investment cooperation. This would involve giving concrete substance to their strategic connectivity, promoting balanced and sustainable trade, expanding markets, connecting businesses and developing shared supply and value chains.
The prime minister said the Vietnamese government would continue to work closely with the Lao government to improve infrastructure links, energy cooperation and digital transformation. Transport projects, connections between seaports, border gates and logistics networks will be prioritised to facilitate trade, investment and regional links. Vietnam also plans to improve cooperation in education and training, develop human resources, increase people-to-people exchanges and effectively organise activities under the 2027 Vietnam-Laos Year of Solidarity and Friendship. The activities are intended to pass the two peoples' tradition of solidarity and friendship on to the public, especially younger generations.
Lao National Assembly Chairman Sonexay Siphandone said the Lao parliament would continue to work closely with Vietnam's National Assembly and join the two governments in promoting the effective implementation of high-level agreements, cooperation treaties and major economic projects. He described the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connectivity between Vietnam and Laos as an invaluable asset of the two peoples and an important foundation for the stability and development of each country.
He also said Laos would continue to coordinate closely with Vietnam on regional and international issues of shared concern. The two countries will increase information exchanges and coordinate positions in multilateral mechanisms, including ASEAN, helping maintain peace and stability and promote cooperation and development in the region.
Le Minh Hung and Sonexay Siphandone expressed confidence that, with the strong political determination of the senior leaders of the two parties and states and close coordination among agencies, localities, businesses and people, Vietnam-Laos relations would continue to develop in a substantive, effective and sustainable way. They said this would meet the aspirations of the two peoples and contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.
Sources: Thanh Niên
