Vietnamese PM meets with top Lao leader in Vientiane
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 10, part of his visit to co-chair the 47th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 10. (Photo: VNA)
Vientiane (VNA)🔥 – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 10, part of his visit to co-chair the 47th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.
Welcoming the Vietnamese PM, the host leader emphasised that the visit marks an important milestone for the Intergovernmental Committee. He affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Laos always consider the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam as a priceless asset which carries strategic importance to the revolutionary causes of both countries.
PM Chinh congratulated Laos on its successes in 2024 and expressed his confidence that under the clear-sighted leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, headed by Thongloun Sisoulith, the Party, State, and people of Laos will continue to reap even greater achievements in successfully implementing the resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and the 9th five-year socio-economic development plan.
Informing the host of the outcomes of his meeting with his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone, the Intergovernmental Committee’s 47th meeting, and the Vietnam - Laos cooperation and investment conference 2025, PM Chinh highlighted that the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation in all areas since the previous session of the Intergovernmental Committee, agreed on measures to solve many outstanding problems, and put forward directions for bilateral cooperation in 2025.
The meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 10 (Photo: VNA)
Both sides also agreed to strive for bilateral trade turnover of 5 billion USD, up from the current 2.2 billion USD. They vowed to maintain support for each other in building independent and self-reliant economies that are deeply and effectively integrated into the world, promote collaboration in culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges, and step up high-level mutual visits, especially on the occasion of major events of the two countries, according to the Vietnamese leader.
Welcoming the outcomes of the 47th session, the top leader of Laos appreciated the strong directions by the Politburo of Vietnam, especially those by Party General Secretary To Lam and PM Chinh, in implementing the high-level cooperation agreements and plans, with a focus on resolving the difficulties and obstacles facing many projects.
He spoke highly of the great efforts and determination by the two countries' Governments, sectors, and localities to foster bilateral ties, asking for stronger implementation of the issues agreed upon by the two sides' leaders.
He also suggested further strengthening the economic connectivity between Laos and Vietnam, particularly in finance, infrastructure, transport, energy, telecommunications, and tourism./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Park, a symbol of the solidarity between the two nations, in Vientiane on January 10.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien has affirmed that Vietnam is willing to help Laos improve its capacity for participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
A multiple of substantive measures were sketched out to deepen the Vietnam – Laos relations at the 47th meeting of the two countries’ intergovernmental committee for bilateral cooperation held in Vientiane on January 9 under the co-chair of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone.
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.
