At the invitation of President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue led a high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese legislature on an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic from May 15 to 17. Taking place during Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations (September 5) and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (July 18), the visit continues to affirm the Vietnamese Party’s and State’s consistent policy of giving the highest priority and attaching great importance to promoting the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
The visit is an important step to continue implementing the foreign policy of the 13th Party Congress on parliamentary diplomacy. This is the first official visit to Laos by a senior Vietnamese leader in the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 and is also the first official visit to Laos by Vuong Dinh Hue as Chairman of the National Assembly (NA).
This is the first foreign high-ranking NA delegation to Laos since the country successfully organised the 11th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the first session of the ninth National Assembly.
The visit hopes to affirm Vietnam's strong and comprehensive support for the cause of renewal and national construction and development of Laos as well as supporting Laos in its successful implementation of the Resolution of the 11th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as well as the socio-economic development plan for the 2021-2025 period.
COOPERATION IN A DEEP,
EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL MANNER
The faithful, transparent, and special relationship between Vietnam and Laos, established by President Ho Chi Minh, Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong, has been assiduously cultivated by generations of leaders and people from the two countries. After establishing diplomatic ties in 1962, the friendship and cooperative relationship between the two countries became closer. Over the past nearly 60 years, relations between the two nations have been developed in a comprehensive and practical manner, becoming a rare model in international relations.
The relationship between the two Parties and States has grown increasingly close, playing a pivotal role in the overall orientation of their bilateral ties. Amid the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, both sides have maintained their high-ranking visits and meetings in appropriate forms, such as Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s official visit to Laos (August, 2021) and Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith’s visit to Vietnam (June, 2021), President of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane’s visit to Vietnam (December, 2021), Prime Minister of Laos Phankham Viphavanh’s visit to Vietnam (January, 2022).
Visits at all levels, especially following the success of Party congresses and the elections to the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels, have contributed to orienting and creating new impetus for Vietnam – Laos cooperation in all aspects. In addition, the two sides have also effectively promoted bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially the annual meetings between the two Politburos and the meetings of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee. The two countries have signed many important cooperation documents and implemented joint statements and agreements between the leaders from the two Parties and nations.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in the spirit of sharing, the two sides worked closely together and supported each other in fighting the pandemic, contributing to the socio-economic recovery efforts in each country.
Economic, trade and investment cooperation has been maintained. Bilateral trade value in 2021 reached 1.3 billion USD, up 33.6% from 2020. In the first two months of 2022, bilateral trade hit 243.2 million, up 21.9% over the same period last year. To date, Vietnam has invested 4.7 billion USD in 417 projects in Laos, including one new project and an additional investment in two existing projects worth 64.3 million in total in the first two months of 2022.
In security and defence, the two sides continue to collaborate closely, helping ensure security and maintaining a border of peace and friendship. Cooperation between localities, especially those sharing the border continues to be enhanced, especially in terms of infrastructure development, healthcare, human resources training and security in border areas.
Cooperation in the fields of education, training, culture, science and technology is also constantly being promoted.
In order to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, a range of practical activities have been held in both countries within the framework of the Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.
At multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations as well as ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, the two countries have worked closely and effectively, contributing to promoting peace, stability and development in the region and around the world.
SYNCHRONOUS AND EFFECTIVE
PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY
In recent years, the relationship between the National Assemblies of Vietnam and Laos has continued to be promoted in a synchronous and effective manner with a flexible form, making an important contribution to the overall relationship between the two countries. The two sides maintain regular exchange of high-level delegations, exchange of work experience, and exchanges at committee level and between friendship parliamentary groups of the two countries. The two sides have established a mechanism for cooperation and exchange between young and female National Assembly deputies, while maintaining an annual cooperation mechanism between committees and agencies of the two National Assemblies as well as a cooperation mechanism between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
The two sides have held many seminars to exchange experiences in legislative work and decide on important national issues, such as obtaining votes of confidence, land management and fiscal policy, participation in international trade organisations, legal policies on vocational education and job creation, handling complaints, and others. The two sides also proposed and organised the presentation of noble orders and awards from the two countries to a number of NA agencies of Vietnam and Laos that have made positive contributions towards preserving and strengthening the relations between the two countries.
The two sides closely cooperated in implementing the project on building the new National Assembly House in Laos which was inaugurated in August 2021. This was a gift from the Party, State and people of Vietnam to the Party, State and people of Laos. At a meeting with NA President Vuong Dinh Hue on the occasion of Lao NA Chairman’s official visit to Vietnam in December 2021, Lao NA Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane expressed his sincere thanks to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for this precious gift. He affirmed that Laos will use the new National Assembly House in the most effective way, worthy of being a prominent and vivid symbol of the great friendship and special solidarity between the two countries.
The two sides have also established friendly parliamentary groups. The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Parliamentary Group is chaired by Politburo member and Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man. The Laos-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group is chaired by Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Sunthon Saynhachac.
The two countries have maintained close cooperation at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), the Asia - Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF).
The visit by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese legislature aims to review the cooperation outcomes between the two Parties and States as well as the two legislative bodies. It will provide an important opportunity for the two parliaments to discuss and reach agreements on orientations and solutions for bilateral cooperation in the new period, while sharing experience in building the institutional and legal systems, as well as supervising the execution of laws, thus creating favourable conditions for Vietnam-Laos investment cooperation projects and contributing to post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development in the two countries.
Production managers: NGOC THANH - CHU HONG THANG
Content: SON NINH - MINH ANH - VAN CHUC
Design: DIEU THU - ANH NGOC
Documents and photos: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY'S COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, NHAN DAN NEWSPAPER, VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY
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