Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith visited the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) in Hanoi on December 7, talking to local students about 70 years of Laos’s diplomacy and 55 years of the two countries’ relations.

The Lao official was in Vietnam to co-chair the fourth bilateral consultation at the foreign ministerial level and attend an exchange between the two foreign ministries.

DAV Director Nguyen Vu Tung described cooperation in education-training as a traditional cooperation area that has helped provide high-quality human resources for Vietnam and Laos.

About 14,000 Lao students are studying in Vietnam while 250 Vietnamese are studying in Laos. After graduating, the students have been contributing to their respective countries’ development as well as bilateral relations.

Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith speaks at a meeting with students of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on December 7

Talking to DAV staff and students, Foreign Minister Kommasith said Vietnam and Laos have strongly supported each other’s development and obtained major achievements in socio-economic development and integration into the region and the world. They have also made practical contributions to the international community.

Bilateral ties have been strongly developing in all aspects, including politics-diplomacy, defense-security, economy-trade, and culture-education, he said, noting that the countries are implementing joint statements and high-ranking agreements in an effective manner. Delegation exchanges and cooperation activities have been held regularly at different levels, considerably helping to improve people’s living standards and mutual understanding.

The official added no countries in the world have such special relations like Vietnam and Laos. Their special bonds have been nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong, along with generations of the two countries’ leaders and people.

Therefore, young Vietnamese and Lao people should be responsible for maintaining and better bringing into play the traditional ties and special solidarity, he said.

At the meeting, the minister also answered students’ questions about Vietnam-Laos relations and measures for enhancing bilateral ties./.

( VNF/VNA )