A delegation from the National Assembly (NA) of Laos led by Vice Chairwoman Sounthone Xayachack visited the northern province of Thai Nguyen on July 20.
Vice Chairwoman of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachack (middle) addressed the event (Photo: VNA)
Thai Nguyen (VNA) – A delegation from the National Assembly (NA) of Laos led by Vice Chairwoman Sounthone Xayachack visited the northern province of Thai Nguyen on July 20.
Hosting a reception for the delegation, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai briefed the guests on the local socio-economic situation in 2021 and the first six months of this year, along with activities to strengthen its relationship with Lao localities.
Hai said he hopes the Lao NA Vice Chairwoman will continue to support Thai Nguyen in connecting and expanding cooperation with provinces in Laos across all fields, especially education-training and economy.
For her part, Sounthone hailed the socio-economic achievements of Thai Nguyen as well as the province’s comprehensive cooperation with Lao localities, especially in education-training, and highly valued Thai Nguyen’s timely assistance to Lao provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contributed to fostering the special friendship between the two nations.
The Lao NA Vice Chairwoman also thanked Thai Nguyen for supporting Lao students to study in the province, thus reinforcing the solidarity between the two countries.
Earlier the same day, the Lao delegation visited Thai Nguyen University where more than 1,300 international students from 16 countries, including 1,046 from Laos, are studying.
According to Associate Prof. Dr. Tran Thanh Van, Vice Executive Director of Thai Nguyen University, cooperation with Laos in training is not only a tradition but an international mission of the university.
He said that Thai Nguyen University will continue to apply measures to further enhance the training quality for Lao students, thus helping the neighbouring country develop human resources.
Sounthone said she was delighted to visit the university on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and 45 years of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
She lauded the performance of the university over the years, especially in training Lao students. She expressed her hope that the university will continue to assist Laos in human resources training to serve her country’s national development.
During their stay in Thai Nguyen, the Lao delegation also visited the Tan Cuong specialty tea region in Thai Nguyen city, and attended the afternoon sitting on July 20 as part of the seventh session of the provincial People’s Council./.
A delegation of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) led by its President Aly Vong Nor Bun Tham visited the Trade Union University (TUU) in Hanoi on July 19.
The speech of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Hanoi meeting on July 18 marking the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relationship and 45 years since the signing of the bilateral treaty on amity and cooperation has won applause from Lao officials, scholars and people.
Vietnam always gives the highest priority to consolidating and enhancing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, including the traditonal cooperative ties between their legislatures, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly and President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Parliamentarians Group Tran Thanh Man affirmed on July 19.
Both Vietnam and Laos treasure their traditional comradeship and fraternity, Le Hoai Trung, head of the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations told the press.
Permanent Vice President of the Vietnamese National Assembly Tran Thanh Man on July 20 suggested the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Parliamentarians Group (VLFPG) and the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association (LVFA) step up the communication work to raise the awareness of people, especially younger generations, about the special relationship between the two countries.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Vice Chairwoman of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachack (middle) addressed the event (Photo: VNA) 
