Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in the Lao capital Vientiane on January 11, starting a two-day official visit to Vietnam’s neighbor.

His visit is at the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, during which he will co-chair the 45th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee.

This is his first official visit to Laos and his first overseas trip of the year. He is also the first foreign leader to visit Laos since Prime Minister Siphandon took office on December 30, 2022.

The visit affirms Vietnam’s consistent policy of treasuring and prioritizing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, and investment have been maintained. Vietnam currently has 238 investment projects in the neighboring country with total registered capital of $5.34 billion. Two-way trade in 2022 has been estimated at $1.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20 per cent.