As the first overseas working visit since being re-elected as General Secretary of the 14th Party Central Committee, the trip by Party chief To Lam carried profound symbolic significance. It reaffirmed a strong political determination to elevate Viet Nam’s relations with Laos and Cambodia to a new height, meeting the demands of the times and opening broader prospects for cooperation in the new period. The visit was all the more meaningful given that the delegation included Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Laos was not only significant in political and diplomatic terms, but also demonstrated deep sincerity, enduring bonds and unwavering affection between two brotherly nations that have always stood shoulder to shoulder throughout their long journey of development.
The intensive series of meetings and exchanges between the leaders of the two Parties and States of Viet Nam and Laos within a short period, immediately following the successful Party Congresses in each country, clearly reflected the high level of political trust and the close strategic bond characterising the special Viet Nam–Laos relationship.
During the visit to Laos, General Secretary To Lam held talks with Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith; paid courtesy calls on Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also paid a courtesy call on the Lao Prime Minister, while National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with the Lao National Assembly Chairman.
At the talks with the Lao General Secretary and President, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that the Communist Party of Viet Nam stands ready to work closely with the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party to further deepen the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, and to strengthen the strategic bond between Viet Nam and Laos.
He stressed that this relationship is an invaluable asset, a law of development and a factor ensuring the success of the revolutionary cause of each country both now and in the future. The two sides agreed on key priorities to be implemented immediately during the current term in order to swiftly realise the goal of strategic connectivity between the two countries, as each Party is implementing the resolutions of its new-term Party Congress.
One event that underscored the steadfast affection, special regard and continued commitment to stand together between Viet Nam and Laos was the conference jointly chaired by General Secretary To Lam and the Lao General Secretary and President to brief on the results of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.
Highlighting the outcomes and significance of the 14th Party Congress, General Secretary To Lam emphasised that the Communist Party of Viet Nam has always attached the highest priority to continuously consolidating and strengthening the special Viet Nam–Laos relationship, considering Laos’s success as Viet Nam’s own joy and achievement.
Affirming that coordination and the exchange of lessons learned with Vietnamese officials during the implementation of the two Parties’ Congress resolutions are of great importance, the Lao General Secretary and President expressed the wish that the two sides would firmly join hands, make breakthroughs together, enter a new era of development side by side, and work together to achieve the goals set by the two Parties.
With a dense programme of activities, General Secretary To Lam’s State visit to Cambodia was a particularly important event, providing an opportunity for leaders to step up exchanges, consolidate the foundation of political trust, and create momentum to elevate Viet Nam–Cambodia relations to a new level.
A highlight of the visit was the issuance of a Joint Statement between the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Joint Statement reaffirmed the two sides’ consistent view of attaching special importance to good-neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between Cambodia and Viet Nam, and their commitment to mutual support for development, peace, stability and prosperity.
Amid complex regional and global developments, the two sides shared a deeper awareness that the traditional friendship and good-neighbourly relations between the two countries are indivisible, and that mutual support for prosperity, equality and peaceful coexistence is an enduring truth.
At the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Standing Board of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party, held in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding, the two sides informed and engaged in in-depth exchanges on the situation of each Party and country following major political events.
Both sides affirmed that the inter-Party meeting was of great significance, providing a solid political foundation to guide bilateral relations and address a number of specific issues between the two countries. Since the meeting in February 2025, the two sides have closely coordinated in organising external activities of the senior leaders of the two Parties and States.
Subsequently, the meeting among the leaders of the three Parties of Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, co-chaired by General Secretary To Lam together with Cambodian People’s Party President Hun Sen and Laos People’s Revolutionary Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, was also highly successful. It once again affirmed that the relations among the three Parties, the three States and the peoples of the three countries are of strategic and long-term significance.
The meeting sent a powerful message about the enduring historical value of solidarity and friendship among Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos—three nations that once stood together and shared hardships in wartime, and that continue to walk alongside and support one another in peacetime.
At the meeting, the three leaders noted that it took place in a context where the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party had just successfully held their Party Congresses, while the Cambodian People’s Party is actively and effectively implementing its Political Platform for national construction and defence for the 2023–2028 period. This created an important foundation for the three Parties to enhance strategic exchanges, firmly consolidate political trust, and agree on major orientations for cooperation among the three Parties and countries in a new phase of development.
The visits to Laos and Cambodia by General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation mark an important milestone in the development of relations between Viet Nam and its two neighbouring countries. They contribute to strengthening political trust and opening up new directions for cooperation in a new era.
The visits also demonstrate respect, confidence, awareness and responsibility in preserving and promoting the fine tradition of friendship between Viet Nam and Laos and Cambodia. In the face of complex, rapid and unpredictable regional and global developments, the spirit of solidarity and close, regular coordination among Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos constitutes a firm foundation for safeguarding the legitimate interests of each country and for maintaining an environment of peace, stability and development.
