Upon arriving in the Lao capital of Vientiane, President Vo Van Thuong and the Vietnamese delegation received a warm and friendly welcome from the Lao leaders and people, which demonstrates the friendship and intimacy between the two countries’ leaders and people.

Taking place at a time when the Lao people are preparing the celebrate the New Year, President Vo Van Thuong’s state visit brought with it the Vietnamese Party, State and people’s sentiments of friendship. The visit came as a wish for the Lao people to enter a new year with greater achievements and a higher level of prosperity.

During his visit, President Vo Van Thuong laid a wreath at the monument of unknown soldiers, the statue of President Kaysone Phomvihane and visited former senior Lao leaders. This expressed the Vietnamese Party, State and people’s gratitude to the significant contributions of Lao leaders, officials, soldiers and people to the special relationship between the two countries.

The Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962 – September 5, 2022) and 45 years of the Vietnam – Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 – July 18, 2022), was a great success, with hundreds of events and activities held in both countries.

To build on the positive effects of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, President Vo Van Thuong and Lao leaders agreed to enhance communication and education in order for young people to better understand the history of the special relationship of solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed to soon put the contents of the history of special relations between Vietnam and Laos into the curriculum of educational institutions in each country; as well as coordinating in the construction of historical works and monuments on Vietnam-Laos relations, including the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Park in Vientiane.

The success of the Solidarity and Friendship Year has significantly contributed to the friendship associations of the two countries. Therefore, President Vo Van Thuong suggested that friendship associations continue to closely coordinate with each other and take proper and practical actions to well organise people-to-people exchanges in order to tighten the bond between people, especially the young generations of the two countries. The President emphasised that friendship associations are important bridges linking the two peoples for mutual support.

During his meeting with the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and representatives of the Vietnamese businesses and community in Laos, President Vo Van Thuong emphasised that the Party and State always pay attention to overseas Vietnamese, including those in Laos, and consider them an integral part of the national great solidarity.

He expressed his hope that the Overseas Vietnamese people in Laos will keep upholding solidarity, develop a strong community, contribute more to socio-economic development in Laos, and help maintain and strengthen the special and close-knit relations between the countries.

Within the framework of his official visit to Laos, President Vo Van Thuong had talks and meetings with top leaders in Laos. In an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood, the President expressed his thanks for the Lao State and people for their whole-hearted, pure sentiment and support for the cause of national construction and development in Vietnam. The Lao leaders also thanked Vietnam for supporting Laos in socio-economic recovery and development.

 Leaders of Vietnam and Laos highly appreciate the developmental achievements of each country, as well as the cooperation between the two countries in all fields over the past time. President Thuong lauded the great and comprehensive achievements that the Lao Party, Government and people have won in the cause of renovation and national construction. He also expressed his belief that Laos will overcome its difficulties and challenges, towards the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 11th Party Congress and the 9th five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.

Lao leaders congratulated Vietnam on its great and comprehensive achievements in implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress while emphasising that the achievements that Vietnam has gained are a great source of encouragement for Laos in the process of national construction and integration. Lao leaders welcomed and highly appreciated President Vo Van Thuong’s first visit to Laos in his new position.

At the meetings, the leaders of the two countries exchanged confidently, sincerely and frankly about orientations and measures to promote all fields of cooperation in the future. In the context of the complicated developments in the world and in the region, Vietnam and Laos need to strengthen consultation, exchange experience, promote cooperation and support each other to overcome challenges and build an independent and self-reliant economy with deep international integration.

Accordingly, the two sides reaffirmed the consistent policy of both countries of always attaching great importance to and giving the highest priority to consolidating and cultivating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between them.

The two sides agreed to continue focusing on effectively carrying out high-level agreements between the countries; strengthening consultation on strategic issues and promoting exchange and visits at all levels; as well as continuing to review and improve the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms.

To enhance their coordination to deal with new challenges, the two sides agreed to step up the pillar of security-defence cooperation; continue to work and support each other to ensure political stability, security, social order and safety in each country; effectively implement the agreements between the Ministries of National Defence and Ministries of Public Security from the two countries; and closely cooperate in border management and protection. The two countries will also continue to make joint efforts in searching, unloading and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos and embellishing monuments featuring the Vietnam-Lao combat alliance.

The two sides pledged to make efforts to conduct economic cooperation commensurate with the stature of political relations; strengthen the exchange of experience in macroeconomic management; upgrade international border gates and roads connecting the two countries.

In addition, the two sides will constantly improve the efficiency of cooperation in education-training, tourism, energy, clean agriculture, science, technology, healthcare, culture, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities from the two countries.

Discussing international and regional issues of mutual concern, President Vo Van Thuong and Lao leaders agreed that, in the context of the current complicated world and regional situation, the two sides should enhance information sharing, exchange, coordination and close cooperation at multilateral forums; ensure solidarity and promote the central role of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms.

President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that Vietnam will support Laos in successfully hosting the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS) and the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam National Assembly Summit in Vientiane in 2023.

Vietnam also supports Laos in successfully taking on international responsibilities in the coming time, such as the ASEAN Chair and the Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2024, contributing to enhancing the role and position of Laos in the region and in the world.