In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency in Laos on the occasion of the 61st founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (September 5, 1962 – 2023), Vongdara recalled that the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have endured through many decades and continue to grow stronger.
According to him, the close bond between the two countries stems from the fact that both the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) both have their origin in the Indochinese Communist Party.
After 1945, under the leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party, and later the CPV and the LPRP, the two countries consistently maintained a close, steadfast, and pure relationship in the spirit of brotherhood and comradeship.
During the comprehensive renewal period in the mid-1980s, the two countries continued to work together to preserve and promote their great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, he noted.
In recent years, Vietnam has continued to stand besides and support Laos in its socio-economic development efforts. It has consistently been one of the three largest investors in Laos. Two-way trade has maintained growth annually, contributing to strongly promoting socio-economic development in both nations.
The Vietnam-Laos, Laos – Vietnam friendship associations have performed well their role in promoting people-to-people diplomacy, especially in popularising the great friendship between Laos and Vietnam, he said, noting that the close cooperation and initiatives undertaken by both associations have helped Vietnamese and Lao people understand each other better, thus strengthening their unity.
He underlined the need for the two nations to further strengthen their friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, focusing on enhancing political ideology education for people from all walks of life, especially youths, to help them have a deeper understanding about the Vietnam-Laos relationship, which is a common asset that the two nations have cultivated, thus further developing this one-of-a-kind relationship.
Laos and Vietnam should also continue their close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within ASEAN, he said.
