Top leaders of Vietnam and Laos hold talks in Vientiane

VIENTIANE, Feb 25, 2019, NDO/VNA. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with his Lao counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith in Vientiane on February 24 following an official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader, reported the Nhan Dan Online.

General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President Bounnhang Vorachith said the first overseas trip by Nguyen Phu Trong in his new position as the top leader of the both Party and State of Vietnam has reflected the great friendship, special solidarity, close relations, mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and people of Laos and Vietnam.

The visit is also a great source of encouragement for the Lao people to successfully complete the resolution adopted at the 10th National Congress of the PRP, he said.

The Lao leader thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their huge support during the Lao cause of national defence and construction, and stressed that the achievements Vietnam has recorded in the Doi Moi (reform) process as well as its increased position and prestige in the international arena have offered valuable experience to the Lao Party, State and people in fulfilling the tasks of national protection and construction.

He expressed his belief that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people will reap greater successes in the cause of national construction and development, thus realising the target of basically turning Vietnam into a modernity-oriented industrialised nation by 2030.

The Vietnamese leader congratulated the Lao people on the achievements they have obtained over the past 30 years of reform, and affirmed Vietnam’s strong and comprehensive support for the cause of national renewal, defence and construction in Laos.

He thanked the Lao Party, State and people for their wholehearted support and assistance to Vietnam during the past struggle for national liberation as well as the present cause of national construction and defence.

Both leaders noted their pride of the special solidarity and loyal ties between the two Parties and people which were built and fostered by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and Souphanouvong, and generations of leaders and people of the two countries. They affirmed their resolve to preserve and promote the tradition as an invaluable asset of the two nations.

The leaders pledged to continuously consolidate and develop the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Laos, considering this a crucial factor to ensure the success of national construction and defence in each country.

Amidst the complex development of the international and regional situation, the Parties, States and people of the two countries need to join hands to carry forward the tradition of solidarity, cooperation and mutual support, and advance their revolutionary cause towards socialism, they said.

The leaders agreed to step up the Vietnam-Laos comprehensive cooperation on the principles of equality and mutual benefits, with priorities given to each other suitable with the special relationship.

In that spirit, the two sides agreed to continue strengthening political collaboration, maintaining high-level meetings, expanding exchanges between agencies, organisations and localities, especially those along the shared borderline.

They emphasised the need to increase the exchange of information and experience in Party building, particularly preparations for Party congresses at all levels towards the National Congresses of the CPV and LPRP.

Experience in political and ideological education, cyber security, prevention of degradation and self-evolution, improvement of the Party’s supervision and inspection capacity, socio-economic development, especially macro economic stabilisation, and expansion of international relations should also be exchanged between the two sides, they said.

They also concurred to boost cooperative ties in national defence and security, and work together to build a shared border of stability and sustainability.

The two sides will also forge affiliation in economy, culture, education-training, healthcare and science-technology, while creating a more favourable legal corridor for cooperation across spheres.

The Vietnamese and Lao economies should support each other, particularly in transport, electricity, telecommunications and tourism, they said, stressing that cooperation in high-quality human resources development should receive more attention from both sides.

The leaders noted with pleasure that Vietnam and Laos have shared united viewpoints on regional and international issues. They held that the two sides should continue their close coordination and mutual support, especially within the cooperation framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations and Mekong Sub-region mechanism.

The two countries will join hands to sustainably use and manage Mekong River water resources, tighten their cooperationas well as coordination with third parties within the framework of the East-West Corridor and other multilateral cooperation programmes and projects, the leaders promised.

Both leaders highlighted the significance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety in the East Sea, supported ASEAN’s role and principles, and agreed to promote the settlement of disputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They affirmed that Vietnam and Laos will join hands with relevant sides to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea and soon reach a practical and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, thus contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and President Trong thanked Laos for backing Vietnam’s bid to run for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, and the country’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.

He invited Bounnhang Vorachith and his spouse to visit Vietnam at a convenient time. The Lao leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents between Vietnamese and Lao ministries and agencies, including a cooperation agreement between the two finance ministries for the 2019-2020 period, a cooperation agreement on developing power and mine projects between the two governments, and another agreement between the two governments on building and exploiting the Vung Ang-Vientiane railway.