During the arduous struggle for national liberation, the three countries stood shoulder to shoulder and achieved many significant victories. In the 1960s, Viet Nam established diplomatic relations with Laos and Cambodia. Over the years, Viet Nam has consistently preserved and developed traditional friendly relations, promoting increasingly substantive and effective cooperation in line with the interests of the people of each country and the requirements of the new era.
The three countries have also carried out various connectivity activities across multiple fields, driven by the need for coordination and joint efforts to balance economic growth, social welfare, environmental protection, climate change response, and the pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
The recent State visit to Laos by a high-level Vietnamese delegation holds special significance in the history of bilateral relations, as it was the first overseas visit by To Lam in his capacity as General Secretary of the 14th Party Central Committee. The delegation also included Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. This conveyed a strong political message, reflecting the highest level of trust between the two Parties and the two States, as well as the rare and special solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos.
The recent State visit to Laos by a high-level Vietnamese delegation holds special significance in the history of bilateral relations, as it was the first overseas visit by To Lam in his capacity as General Secretary of the 14th Party Central Committee.
The visit took place shortly after the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the recent holding of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, affirming the strong determination to further strengthen and deepen cooperation between the two Parties and the two countries.
It also aimed to continue consolidating and advancing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic bond between Viet Nam and Laos in a more substantive, effective and in-depth manner, delivering tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith noted that General Secretary To Lam’s direct briefing on the outcomes of the 14th National Party Congress demonstrated the highest regard of the Vietnamese Party and State for the Lao Party, State and people. He described this as an unprecedented political event in relations between the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
The participation of senior Lao leaders, along with key officials from ministries, sectors and localities, as well as hundreds of grassroots officials following the event online, vividly reflected the special solidarity between the two Parties, States and peoples.
For Laos, the 14th National Party Congress of Viet Nam set an ambitious and challenging target of achieving double-digit economic growth of at least 10% during the 2026–2030 period, demonstrating the firm resolve and strong aspirations of the Vietnamese Party and people. This spirit has served as a significant source of encouragement and a valuable lesson for the Lao Party and people as they strive to successfully implement the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, with the goal of building an independent and self-reliant economy, attaining upper-middle-income status and moving closer to high-income status by 2055.
To realise these objectives, Laos has prioritised modernisation, including the application of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence in governance and production, improving transparency and accountability within the state administration, granting greater autonomy to local authorities, promoting private-sector growth, and prioritising investment in key industries, renewable energy and nuclear energy.
In recent years, economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has seen positive progress, with new highlights emerging and long-standing bottlenecks resolved. Notably, Viet Nam has dispatched economic and financial experts to assist and advise Laos in addressing macroeconomic challenges, support that has been highly valued and incorporated into Laos’s socio-economic development strategy for 2026–2035, with a vision to 2055.
Cooperation in culture, education, science and technology continues to be vigorously promoted. Relations between ministries, government agencies, the National Assemblies and localities of the two countries have been further strengthened in an increasingly practical manner. Both sides are actively implementing measures to concretise high-level agreements between the two Parties.
Party leader To Lam’s visit helped foster close ties as the two countries move towards the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027.
Suos Yara, Vice Chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee’s External Relations Commission
Following the State visit to Laos, General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation paid a State visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia, co-chairing a high-level meeting between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Standing Boarding of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party. According to Suos Yara, Vice Chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Central Committee’s External Relations Commission, the visit helped foster close ties as the two countries move towards the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027.
In recent years, Viet Nam–Cambodia relations have developed in a relatively stable, diverse and effective manner across many fields, with political relations playing a guiding role. The two sides have maintained frequent high-level and multi-level exchanges in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, while key bilateral cooperation mechanisms have been regularly convened and proven effective.
The two countries are actively coordinating efforts to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of 20 billion USD. They also work closely together at international, regional and sub-regional forums, contributing to enhancing each country’s standing and prestige.
Within the framework of the State visit to Cambodia, General Secretary To Lam co-chaired a meeting of the leaders of the three ruling Parties of Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos. The meeting, attended by prime ministers and parliamentary leaders of the three countries, reaffirmed mutual trust and the shared commitment to maintaining a durable, sound and foundational relationship through Party channels.
The meeting once again confirmed the strategic and long-term significance of relations among the three Parties, States and peoples, strengthening ties among the neighbouring countries and promoting cooperation across various fields. Based on mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and lasting peace, the meeting laid an important foundation for enhanced strategic dialogue, strengthened political trust and unified orientations for cooperation in a new development stage.
The close and enduring cooperative relationship among Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia, tested through many historical periods, has become an invaluable asset of all three nations. It continues to be preserved and strengthened in line with new circumstances, making a positive contribution to national construction, defence and development in each country.
Looking back over the past year, the three leaders agreed that trilateral cooperation has achieved many positive results and has been increasingly consolidated and developed. Against the backdrop of complex developments in the world and the region, the three Parties and three countries need to continue strengthening solidarity, maintaining regular consultations and close coordination in order to safeguard the legitimate interests of each country, preserve a peaceful and stable environment for development, and further deepen economic linkages in a substantive, effective and sustainable manner. This includes creating breakthroughs in closer connectivity in terms of the economy and infrastructure, as well as participation in supply chains, based on the spirit of leveraging complementary strengths.
The close and sustainable cooperative relationship among Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia, tested through many historical periods, has become an invaluable asset of all three nations. It has always been preserved and continuously consolidated and promoted in line with new circumstances, making a positive contribution to nation-building, national defence and development in each country.
