Vientiane(VNA) – Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 10 had  meetings with Lao VicePresidents Pany Yathotu and Bounthong Chithmany as part of hisongoing official friendship visit to the neighbouring country.

At these meetings,President Phuc emphasised that the Party, State and people of Vietnam alwaysattach great importance to and give the highest priority to consolidating andstrengthening the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensivecooperation between Vietnam and Laos, describing it an invaluable asset and avital factor for the revolutionary cause of the two nations.


The VietnamesePresident suggested the two sides continue to coordinate and effectivelyimplement the signed agreements, promoting cooperation in all fields and facilitatingimportant cooperation projects.

Vice PresidentsPany and Bounthong expressed their belief thatthe positive and practical outcomes of the Vietnamese leader’s visit willcontribute to further tightening the special ties between the two countries for theinterest of their people.

Earlier in the morning, PresidentPhuc delivered an important speech at the first session of the 9th NationalAssembly of Laos, becoming the first foreign leader to do soat the new NA Building of Laos, 10 years after the speech of Party GeneralSecretary and Chairman of the 11th NA of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong at the first session of the 7th NA of Laos in 2011.

The Vietnamese leader underscored that political relations will continue to become a keypillar in the overall special ties between Vietnam and Laos in the future, inwhich, the cooperation between the two legislative bodies plays a significantrole.

The support of the two legislatures will serve as a firm legal foundation for theeffective cooperation between the two Governments, Fronts, localities as well associal organisations, while helping encourage efforts and creativity of businessesand people of both nations, he said.

Chairman of the Lao NA SaysomphonePhomvihane thanked President Phuc for delivering the speech, which manifests theclose friendship, solidarity and brotherhood between the two countries.

He affirmed that the two legislatures will exert every effort together to make contributions tothe development of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensivecooperation between Laos and Vietnam.

Also on August 10,President Phuc, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party andPresident of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and NA Chairman Saysomphoneattended the inauguration and hand-over ceremony of the Lao NA Building, a giftpresented by the Vietnamese Party, State and people to their Lao counterparts.

The building was finished after nearly 38 months of construction. Vietnam’sMinistry of Construction was the project’s main investor and Army Corps 11 of theMinistry of National Defence was the main constructor.

Covering a total area of 23,400sq.m, including a construction area of about 7,100sq.m, thenew building is built on the foundation of the old one at Thatluang Square indowntown Vientiane. It has one basement and five storeys.

Addressing theceremony, President Phuc reiterated Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun’s assessment that the building has “four best” – most modern, mostharmonious in national identity, most solid, and having highest investmentvalue.

Onthe occasion, President Phuc presented first- and second-class Labour Orders to a number of incumbent and former leaders of the Lao NA who madeoutstanding contributions to the direction of the building’s construction.


The top Lao leader also handed over a first-class Freedom Order to the Ministry of Construction, and two second-class Freedom Orders to the Project Management Board underthe Ministry of Construction and Army Corps 11 under the Ministry of National Defenceof Vietnam./.