Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – At the invitation of Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou, Vietnamese Vice President Vu Thi Anh Xuan arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Thursday, August 22, to begin an official visit to Laos from August 21 to 22. The core objective of this visit is to further consolidate and deepen the traditional great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, injecting new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.
Upon arriving at Vientiane's Wattay International Airport, Vu Thi Anh Xuan and her delegation received a high-level welcome – Phouvong Vongkhamxao, Vice Chairman of the Vientiane Administrative Committee, Lao government representatives, and other relevant officials greeted them at the airport in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
On the first day of the visit, the two vice presidents led their respective delegations in talks at the Lao Presidential Palace. Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou (referred to as "Ms. Pany" in the text) first extended a warm welcome to the Vietnamese delegation during the talks. She explicitly pointed out that this visit, Vu Thi Anh Xuan's first to Laos since assuming the position of Vice President of Vietnam, fully demonstrates the deep and solid friendship and solidarity between the two parties, countries, and peoples. Especially as the two countries approach important historical milestones—the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's founding and the 50th anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic—this visit will be a crucial opportunity to consolidate the long-standing relationship of "great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation," laying a more solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations.
During the talks, the two leaders engaged in sincere and friendly exchanges on a wide range of topics: both sides shared the latest developments in their respective countries' economic and social development, congratulated each other on the significant achievements made in various fields, reviewed the fruitful results of past bilateral cooperation, and planned for future cooperation directions and key areas. Both sides expressed high satisfaction with the steady progress of current bilateral relations in various fields, including politics, defense, diplomacy, and trade.
In specific areas of cooperation, the outcomes of the talks are clearly evident:
Political Area: The two countries deepen political mutual trust through regular reciprocal visits by government delegations. For example, in April 2024, the presidents of Laos and Vietnam jointly attended the inauguration ceremony of Pier 3 at Vinh Yen Port in Vietnam. Such high-level interactions continue to inject vitality into bilateral political relations and promote deeper political mutual trust.
Defense and Security Area: Both sides agree that defense and security are important pillars of bilateral relations. They maintain close cooperation on projects such as the joint survey of the Ho Chi Minh Ancient Trail in the Phu Luang Mountains, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability through pragmatic cooperation.
Diplomatic Area: The two countries maintain close coordination in regional and international forums such as ASEAN and the United Nations, supporting each other on issues involving core interests and common concerns, forming an efficient diplomatic cooperation mechanism.
Economic and Trade Area: Cooperation has yielded particularly significant results. Vietnam has become one of Laos's largest sources of investment, and bilateral trade has shown a steady year-on-year growth trend, providing strong support for the economic development of both countries.
Multi-faceted cooperation in people's livelihood and people-to-people exchanges: Cooperation in science and technology, education, health, culture, sports, and tourism continued to advance, and exchanges between mass organizations and people-to-people exchanges became increasingly frequent, further narrowing the psychological distance between the two peoples. Strategic cooperation projects achieved new breakthroughs, with both sides expressing high recognition of UNESCO's joint inscription of Laos' Hung Nam Nhat National Park and Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park on the World Natural Heritage List, considering it an important milestone in ecological cooperation and cultural integration between the two countries.
Based on the above consensus, the two vice-presidents reached a clear direction for cooperation: to further encourage departments at all levels of both countries to effectively implement the agreements and memorandums of understanding previously reached by the leaders of the two countries, especially focusing on strategic projects that promote economic alignment between the two countries—such projects are not only a key focus of bilateral cooperation but also a crucial lever for contributing to regional integration and laying a solid foundation for future economic growth in both countries. In addition, both sides exchanged in-depth views on issues of common concern at the regional and international levels, reaching broad consensus on many issues.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two vice-chairpersons reiterated their commitment to deepening close cooperation and mutual support between Vietnam and Laos in various fields, taking concrete actions to further strengthen the "great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation" between the two countries, and ultimately making greater contributions to the lasting prosperity and well-being of the two peoples.
In addition to the core talks, Vu Thi Anh Xuan's visit to Laos also included several important official activities: a courtesy call on Lao People's Revolutionary Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Somxay Siphandone; attendance at the declaration ceremony of the Phu Luang Mountains National Historic Site in Laos, and related activities celebrating the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day; she will also visit the Lao Disabled Women's Vocational Training Center and major local cultural sites, comprehensively enhancing her understanding of Lao society, people's livelihoods, and culture through a diverse itinerary, further enriching the dimensions of bilateral exchanges.
Overall, the official visit of Vietnamese Vice President Vu Thi Anh Xuan to Laos not only vividly demonstrates the traditional friendly relations between Vietnam and Laos, but also highlights the shared commitment of the two parties, the two countries, and the two peoples to deepening long-term friendly cooperation and promoting pragmatic collaboration in various fields, thus drawing a clear blueprint for the development of Vietnam-Laos relations in the new era.
