ASEAN Summit: Vietnamese foreign minister meets Lao, Indian counterparts

At the meeting with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Trung expressed deep gratitude for Lao leaders’ letters of sympathy over the recent natural disasters in northern and central Viet Nam. He commended the progress in bilateral ties and reaffirmed Viet Nam’s commitment to strengthening practical and substantive cooperation with Laos. He said both sides should work closely to further deepen the Viet Nam–Laos partnership for the interests of their peoples, and contribute to building a united and resilient ASEAN Community.

Thongsavanh Phomvihane congratulated Trung on his new post and voiced satisfaction with the steady growth of Viet Nam–Laos cooperation. He reaffirmed that Laos treasures its traditional ties with Viet Nam and hopes for continued companionship and support from Viet Nam in its national development process.

The two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination to effectively implement agreements reached by their leaders and prepare for upcoming high-level external activities. They vowed to advance comprehensive cooperation, especially in economy, trade and investment, and to foster breakthroughs in infrastructure connectivity, human resource development, digital transformation and green transition. The Vietnamese minister said the country stands ready to share its experience and assist Laos in socio-economic development and the pursuit of sustainable development goals.

Regarding collaboration between the two foreign ministries, the ministers agreed to effectively implement their existing cooperation agreement, hold ministerial-level political consultations, and maintain regular exchanges and mutual learning on economic diplomacy and development-oriented diplomacy. They also discussed promoting exchanges between women’s unions of the two ministries and enhancing training for officials, thereby deepening the relationship across the three diplomatic pillars of Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy.

Meeting Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Trung noted that Viet Nam values its traditional friendship with India and welcomes India’s active and constructive role in the Asia–Pacific and globally. He highlighted the shared interests and cultural and historical affinities between the two nations, adding that Viet Nam has been and will continue to participate in major initiatives proposed by India.

Under the comprehensive strategic partnership framework, the Vietnamese diplomat appreciated India’s effective and substantive cooperation with Viet Nam and called for further collaboration, particularly in science and technology, to help Viet Nam achieve its key development goals, including sustainable growth.

Jaishankar expressed admiration for Viet Nam’s struggle for national independence and reunification and praised its current socio-economic achievements. He affirmed India’s special relationship with Viet Nam and expressed the desire to enhance cooperation across various areas, including the preservation of cultural heritage sites such as the My Son Sanctuary.

On regional cooperation, the Indian diplomat commended Viet Nam’s active coordination with ASEAN countries to advance the review of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

Both ministers agreed to promote high-level visits and existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the 19th meeting of the Viet Nam–India Joint Commission on Science, Technology, Culture and Education, to review and chart future directions for all-round cooperation.