Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on October 8, during which he congratulated Laos - Chair of ASEAN in 2024 - on the successful organization of the bloc’s important events, the Vietnam News Agency has reported.

PM Chinh, who is in Vientiane to attend the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits, expressed his belief that with its thorough and professional preparations, along with experiences gained during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2004 and 2016, Laos will successfully host the ASEAN Summits and the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), thereby practically contributing to stable and sustainable development along with growth in the region and promoting ASEAN’ central role and position in the international arena.

The Party, State, and people of Vietnam always attach importance to and give the top priority to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, considering this as a priceless asset, an objective requirement, a leading priority, a top choice, and a vital factor of the revolutionary causes in the two countries that needs to be maintained for future generations, the Vietnamese leader noted.

The PM pledged to request Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to closely coordinate with their Lao counterparts to properly carry out the high-level agreements between the two nations, including the join statement issued during the state visit to Vietnam by the Lao Party General Secretary and State President from September 10-13.

Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith appreciated Vietnam’s valuable material and spiritual assistance to Laos to address flood consequences.

He also spoke highly of Vietnam’s active support for Laos during the ASEAN Chairmanship 2024, attributing the success of Laos as ASEAN Chair partly to Vietnam’s contributions.

Both host and guest held that in the coming time, the two sides should focus on effectively implementing the two countries’ cooperation treaties and agreements, especially the outcomes of the recent meeting between the Vietnamese and Lao Political Bureaus in Hanoi, and further enhancing the connectivity between the Vietnamese and Lao economies as well as among the Vietnamese - Laos - Cambodian economies.

The two countries will maintain frequent experience and information exchanges while keeping close coordination and mutual support at international and regional forums, especially ASEAN, the United Nations, and sub-regional mechanisms, they said.

Amid complicated developments in the region and the world, they affirmed that Vietnam and Laos will press on with nurturing the “forever green and sustainable” bilateral relations and developing economic collaboration in an increasingly result-oriented and effective manner, and on par with the political relationship to better meet each country’s interests and development demand in the new period.

On the same day, PM Chinh had a meeting with Chairman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Saysomphone Phomvihane.

Both leaders affirmed that they always attach importance and give the top priority to the enhancement of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, considering this as priceless and vital for the revolutionary causes in the two countries.

PM Chinh asked the two countries’ NAs to create favourable legal frameworks for strengthening comprehensive connectivity, particularly in the spheres of regulations, energy, transport, trade - investment, and agriculture.

He also proposed Laos continue facilitating Vietnamese enterprises’ operations in the country and accelerate the fruitful implementation of some key projects.

Laos’ NA Chairman Saysomphone thanked Vietnam for its enormous support and assistance to Laos over the recent past while speaking highly of the outcomes of the talks between the Vietnamese and Lao PMs.

He expressed his hope for stronger relations between the two NAs, including in joint supervisory activities to help effectively carry out the key projects and high-level agreements.