On behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in Laos, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam expressed profound sorrow, emphasising that the passing of President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was a great loss to the Party, State, and people of all ethnic groups in fraternal Laos. It was also a great loss to the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam, including the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Laos.
Affirming that President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was an outstanding leader of the Party, State, and people of Laos and an exemplary son of the Lao people of all ethnic groups, the ambassador said that throughout his career, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane had always been dedicated and responsible, wholeheartedly serving the country and people of Laos, and had made important contributions to the cause of protecting and building an increasingly prosperous Laos.
According to the ambassador, with his extensive knowledge, outstanding capabilities, rich experience, and high standing, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was entrusted by the Party, State, and people of Laos with many important responsibilities. In particular, as President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC), he made significant contributions to consolidating great national unity and promoting the strength and consensus of the people. As President of the Lao National Assembly, he left an indelible mark on enhancing the role, position, quality, and effectiveness of the Lao National Assembly, contributing to building a law-governed state, improving the legal system, and advancing the country's development.
Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam said that President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was a comrade and close friend of the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam, and an outstanding example of the steadfast solidarity between the two Parties and the two States. The ambassador affirmed that President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane had always held sincere and profound affection for Viet Nam and devoted himself to nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Viet Nam and Laos, enabling the relationship to develop further, become more substantive and effective, and deepen across all fields.
Meanwhile, according to Syvanh Homsayadeth, Acting Editor-in-Chief of Pasaxon newspaper (the organ of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee), President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was one of the key leaders of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee. He was knowledgeable, capable, astute, and highly experienced, having held leadership positions at the local level and in various sectors and fields before becoming President of the Lao National Assembly.
Looking back on President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane's revolutionary career, Syvanh expressed his deep appreciation and recognition of the exceptionally significant and dedicated contributions made by the outstanding leader to fortifying and advancing the special relationship between the two Parties, the two States, and the peoples of Laos and Viet Nam.
Syvanh said that President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was born and raised in a family with a rich revolutionary tradition. He was the son of President Kaysone Phomvihane, the beloved leader of the Lao people, who, together with the great President Ho Chi Minh and President Souphanouvong, cemented a firm foundation for the special relationship between Laos and Viet Nam.
Inheriting his family's revolutionary tradition and always holding deep affection for Viet Nam, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane attached particular importance to preserving and elevating the special relationship between Laos and Viet Nam. After more than six decades of diligent efforts to nurture the ties, the relationship between the two countries has now been elevated to a “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion”. President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane made invaluable contributions to this journey.
According to Syvanh, as President of the Lao National Assembly, Xaysomphone Phomvihane always focused on enhancing the quality of legislative work, supreme oversight, and decision-making on important national issues. He spearheaded efforts to perfect the legal system to support socio-economic development, optimise the investment environment, resolve difficulties facing the economy, and accelerate the building of a socialist law-governed state in Laos. In addition, he made pivotal contributions to fostering cooperation between the Lao and Vietnamese National Assemblies.
Under his leadership, the two countries' National Assemblies maintained regular high-level visits and contacts; strengthened exchanges between specialised committees and Friendship Parliamentary Groups; and closely coordinated their activities within the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and other multilateral parliamentary forums. These efforts contributed to solidifying the political foundation, amplifying strategic trust, and deepening parliamentary cooperation between the two countries in an increasingly substantive and effective manner.
Syvanh said that one of Xaysomphone Phomvihane's most notable achievements as President of the Lao National Assembly was his close coordination with the Vietnamese National Assembly in successfully organising numerous major parliamentary diplomacy events, notably the High-level Conference of the National Assemblies of Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam (CLV). This was a new cooperation mechanism of strategic significance aimed at fortifying links through the legislative channel, thereby contributing to creating an environment of peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region.
Affirming that the Vietnamese business community and entrepreneurs in Laos have always held President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane in the highest esteem and affection, Duong Dinh Bang, President of the Central Vietnamese Business Association in Laos (AVILA), said that during his lifetime, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was always close to the people, entrepreneurs, and businesses. He regularly prioritised promoting legislative cooperation and engineered an open and favourable legal framework that enabled Vietnamese businesses in Laos to operate with confidence and make positive contributions to the economic development of both Laos and Viet Nam.
Emphasising that he had always shown deep affection and a genuine bond with the country and people of Viet Nam throughout his career, Bang said that President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane was a symbol of the steadfast and enduring Viet Nam–Laos bond and an outstanding example of preserving, safeguarding, and passing on the close, blood-bonded relationship between the two peoples to future generations.
Bang also expressed his confidence that, under the leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the fraternal Lao people would soon translate this profound grief and great loss into action, continuing to uphold the tradition of solidarity and unity of purpose and striving to achieve even greater accomplishments in the cause of national construction and development. At the same time, they would continue to nurture the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Laos and Viet Nam, keeping the relationship ever green and enduring for generations to come, as President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane had always wished.
