At the invitation of Viengthavisone Thephachanh, Member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of the State Audit Organization of Laos, Nguyen Huu Nghia, Member of the Party Central Committee and Auditor General of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam, led a delegation from the State Audit Office of Viet Nam on an official visit and working trip to Laos on June 25 and 26, 2026.
As part of the visit, on the afternoon of June 25, in Vientiane, Nguyen Huu Nghia led the delegation to pay a courtesy call on Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
Receiving the delegation, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone highly appreciated the comprehensive cooperation achieved between the two supreme audit institutions in recent years. He affirmed that Laos attaches great importance to auditing and called on the audit sectors of both countries to further strengthen cooperation, accelerate digital transformation, develop databases and modernise auditing operations.
The Lao Prime Minister stressed that the effective cooperation between the supreme audit institutions of Laos and Viet Nam not only enhances each country's national governance capacity but also serves as a practical contribution to fostering the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic ties between Laos–Viet Nam and Viet Nam–Laos.
During bilateral talks with Viengthavisone Thephachanh, President of the State Audit Organisation of Laos, Nguyen Huu Nghia stated that, as relations between Viet Nam and Laos continue to develop in a more substantive and effective manner across all fields, close cooperation between the two supreme audit institutions will make a positive contribution to implementing the concept of "strategic ties" agreed upon by the senior leaders of both countries. It will also enhance transparency and efficiency in the management of public finance and public assets while supporting the development efforts of both countries in the new era.
According to Nguyen Huu Nghia, during the 2022–2024 period, the State Audit Office of Viet Nam successfully assisted the State Audit Organisation of Laos in implementing the E-Office Project, aimed at modernising office administration. The project marked a significant breakthrough in the application of information technology to auditing activities in Laos.
In multilateral forums, the two supreme audit institutions have consistently maintained close coordination, actively participated in and effectively supported one another within the frameworks of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI).
The State Audit Office of Viet Nam highly appreciated the responsible participation of the State Audit Organisation of Laos in ASEANSAI's specialised committees, as well as its successful tenure as Chair of ASEANSAI for the 2017–2019 term, which further affirmed its strong standing within the region.
Nguyen Huu Nghia noted that the State Audit Office of Viet Nam is currently focusing on three development pillars: the legal framework, human resources and technology. In response to emerging global challenges such as climate change, non-traditional security risks, public debt pressures and the rapid wave of digital transformation, the State Audit Office of Viet Nam is developing its Development Strategy to 2035, with a Vision to 2045, with the aim of defining its long-term development direction and meeting the increasingly demanding requirements of national governance.
During the talks, both sides agreed on future directions for cooperation. They will continue to work closely together to successfully implement the 2021–2030 Cooperation Strategy and the 2025–2028 Medium-Term Plan in the field of state auditing. The two sides will also jointly report to the leaders of both countries with a view to continuing the inclusion of auditing cooperation in the annual cooperation agreement between the two Governments.
In addition, both sides agreed to jointly organise several specialised professional activities during the second half of 2026. The State Audit Office of Viet Nam will increase the deployment of experts to provide on-site guidance to Lao auditors, particularly at joint-venture enterprises between the two countries, while also conducting cooperative audits on environmental and sustainable development issues.
