Vietnamese, Lao leaders hail significance of friendship year

The Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022 holds special significance to communications and education campaigns targeting people from all walks of life, particularly youth, on the unique bilateral traditional, special, and close-knitted ties between the two countries, affirmed President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and visiting Lao Vice President Bounthong Chitmany at their meeting in Hanoi on July 17.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and visiting Lao Vice President Bounthong Chitmany

Both host and guest agreed to increase the effectiveness of their cooperation in education-training, health, and people-to-people exchange. It is also important to raise the frequency of commercial flights and effectively exploit border gates between the two nations, the officials noted.

They said Vietnam and Laos will further team up and support each other at international forums, especially regarding the maintaining of solidarity and promotion of ASEAN’s centrality in regional security mechanisms.

Declaring that Laos’ success is also Vietnam’s happiness and pride, President Phuc stressed the Vietnamese Party, State and people always value and are determined to foster the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos.

The State leader suggested the sides maintain regular high-level visits and contact to seriously implement agreements between the parties. He emphasised that the two sides need to tap their potential and internal resources for trade and investment collaboration to create new breakthroughs and turn the sector into a solid pillar in their relations.

Constantly strengthening the connection between the two economies, and jointly seeking international capital for projects linking Laos’ key economic infrastructure with the sea of Vietnam are also necessary, serving international integration-trade, and self-reliant, sustainable and prosperous development, Phuc added.

For his part, Bounthong Chitmany stated Vietnam’s comprehensive progresses in pandemic prevention, recovery, and sustainable growth are a source of encouragement and experiences for Laos to learn from.

He expressed his confidence in Vietnam’s further success in its reform process./.

VNA