Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Lao Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Hanoi on December 7. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime MinisterPham Minh Chinh received visiting Lao Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign AffairsSaleumxay Kommasith in Hanoi on December 7.
Congratulating Laos on the 47th National Day (December 2), PM Chinh said the great friendship, specialsolidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos are uniquein the world, asking the two sides to continue educating younger generations onthe relations, which are a priceless asset of both peoples.
He also called on the two countriesto coordinate with each other to develop independent and self-reliant economiesthat extensively, substantively, and effectively integrate into the world.
Saleumxay Kommasith, who is in Vietnam toco-chair a conference disseminating policies and laws to exemplary leaders ofvillages in the countries’ border areas, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State,and people for consistently supporting and standing side by side with their Laocounterparts.
He said the dissemination conference,held in Nghe An province from December 5 to 7, would help further step upcooperation between border localities of Vietnam and Laos, especially ininfrastructure building, health care, human resources development, and safeguardingof security, order, and safety in border areas.
At the meeting, both host and guestexpressed their delight at significant achievements in the countries’cooperation, including the strong growth in bilateral trade that reached 1.4billion USD in the first 10 months of 2022.
The two countries have increasedhigh-level mutual visits and meetings, boosted bilateral cooperation mechanisms,and successfully organised many activities during the Vietnam - Laos Solidarityand Friendship Year 2022, which marks the 60th anniversary ofdiplomatic relations and 45 years since the signing of the Treaty of Friendshipand Cooperation, they said.
PM Chinh and Deputy PM Saleumxay Kommasithshared the view that amid the complex international and regional situations, itis necessary to keep joint efforts to unceasingly strengthen the greatfriendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnamand Laos.
They also agreed to properly carryout the remaining high-level delegation exchanges and cooperation mechanisms inthe Solidarity and Friendship Year, including the 45th meeting ofthe Vietnam - Laos Inter-governmental Committee and the closing ceremony of theSolidarity and Friendship Year.
The two sides will push ahead withcooperation pillars such as politics, defence - security, and economy - trade -investment. They will also focus on tackling bottlenecks and problems toaccelerate key projects while improving the effectiveness of cooperation inhuman resources training, culture, and people-to-people exchange, they added./.
On the occasion of Laos’ 47th National Day (December 2), Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on December 1 sent congratulatory letters to Laos’ Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, and NA Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane.
Vietnam always fully supports Laos’ renovation and development, said Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) Nguyen Xuan Thang while paying courtesy calls to General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh in Vientiane on December 5.
A conference to raise knowledge about policies and laws related to the Vietnam-Laos border took place on December 6 in the central province of Nghe An, gathering nearly 200 village chiefs from 20 border provinces of the nations.
Border management is a bright spot in the Vietnam-Laos cooperation, Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu said, pointing to important advantages in the work, which are the completion of border demarcation and border marker planting.
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.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Lao Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Hanoi on December 7. (Photo: VNA) 
