Vietnamese, Lao agree to settle disputes in East Sea via peaceful means

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith (Photo VNA)

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea during their talks in Hanoi on December 19.

They agreed to settle any disputes via peaceful means and in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and the early building of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The special relations between Vietnamese and Lao Parties and States hold the strategic meaning to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the respective countries as well as in the region and around the world, they said, describing the successful friendship and solidarity year 2017 between Vietnam and Laos as an important milestone in the two countries’ relations.

In the years to come, the two countries would face a lot of difficulties and challenges in building, safeguarding and reforming the nation. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen coordination in implementing development strategies in the respective societies while improving the bilateral cooperation efficiency across the fields, especially regarding economics.

Vietnam and Laos pledged to closely work to realise more effectively the agreements signed between the two countries’ Parties and States and the Vietnam-Laos Joint Statement.

The two sides will spare no efforts to deepen their political ties and increase experience sharing in building the Party and a strong political system as well as boosting socio-economic development and international integration.

They will focus on personnel training at all levels, promoting the spirit of the friendship solidarity year and raising public awareness of the traditional friendship and special relations between Vietnam and Laos, especially among youngsters.

The Vietnamese and Lao leaders agreed to continue coordinating effectively and providing mutual support at regional and international forums, especially at the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

The two countries vowed to coordinate with GMS nations and relevant international organisations to make effective and sustainable use and management of water resources of the Mekong River, while strengthening coordination with Cambodia to implement efficiently the trilateral agreement on Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV).

On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the ongoing visit to Vietnam by the Lao leader from December 19-21, which aims to deepen the bilateral traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.

The visit is significant when the two countries are coordinating to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 40 years of signing the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.

For his part, Bounnhang Vorachith expressed his pleasure to visit Vietnam again and congratulated Vietnamese people on their achievements gained over 30 years of “doi moi” (reform).

He believed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnamese people will gain new accomplishments in the coming time.

After talks, the host and guest witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao Governments on the construction of the Lao National Assembly building and the handing over of a certificate on the Laos-Vietnam Port Joint Stock Company to the Lao side and a collection of books “Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam friendship roads”.

The Lao leader invited General Secretary Trong to visit Laos at an appropriate time, and the later accepted the invitation with pleasure.

VNA