Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and his entourage left Hanoi on Jan. 10, concluding their eventful visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, reported VNA Monday.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Phankham Viphavanh. Photo: VGP

During the visit, the two PMs held talks, attended signing ceremonies for cooperation agreements, launched the Year of Vietnam – Laos Solidarity and Friendship, co-chaired the 44th meeting of the Vietnam – Laos Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, and met businesses from the two countries.

Viphavanh paid a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as well as met President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

He paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid a wreath at a monument to war heroes and martyrs on Bac Son street.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets with Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh in Hanoi on January 8. Photo: VNA

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception for Lao Minister of Public Security Gen. Vilay Lakhamphong, during which he hailed defence - security cooperation as a pillar in bilateral relations.

In the time ahead, the two ministries will step up the crackdown on crimes, particularly drug crime; strengthen coordination to ensure security - order in areas along the shared borderline; guarantee social order and safety to promote investment projects, including those from Vietnam, in Laos; and boost education of younger generations on the countries’ special friendship, according to the minister.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Lao Minister of Public Security Gen. Vilay Lakhamphong in Hanoi on January 10. Photo: VNA

Lao Deputy PM and Minister of National Defence Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath also visited former Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and former Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich. Meanwhile, Vilay Lakhamphong also held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Gen. To Lam.

During talks and exchanges, both sides reaffirmed the two countries’ consistent policies of treasuring and giving the top priority to consolidating bilateral great relationship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, the two countries maintained the exchange of delegations via all channels and regularly carried out bilateral cooperation mechanisms in various forms.

The two sides pledged to maintain all-level visits and exchanges in a flexible and effective manner while seriously and effectively realising agreements reached by their leaders.

The two PMs discussed ways to lift economic ties on par with bilateral special ties and vowed to step up connectivity between the two economies, including in hard and soft infrastructure, especially road, railway and airway transportation projects, thus helping Laos achieve its goal of becoming a regional logistics centre linking with seas and oceans.

They promised to effectively carry out economic agreements, create a stable and transparent legal corridor and business environment conducive to enterprises.

Priority will be given to improving the quality of education-training collaboration; enhancing cultural, sport and tourism exchanges; and developing coordination in clean agriculture, e-commerce, digital transformation and innovation.

Vietnam and Laos will further roll out the memorandum of understanding between the two Governments on the transport cooperation strategy in 2016-2025, with a vision towards 2030. With 209 valid projects worth nearly USD 5.18 billion in Laos, Vietnam remained the third biggest investor in the country, behind China and Thailand. Last year, there were five new Vietnamese projects and four others registering additional capital with a total registered capital of USD 112.84 million, up 27% annually. Around USD 2.5 billion was disbursed, or 48.4% of the total. Over the past five years, the Vietnamese firms have contributed more than USD 1 billion to the Lao State budget and roughly USD 80 million to social welfare services. Two-way trade was estimated at USD 1.3 billion last year, up 30.3% year-on-year. The Vietnam – Laos Bilateral Trade Agreement, which was signed in 2015 and took effect till October 2020, has been extended to October 2023. 20 power purchase agreements were signed with investors to buy electricity from Laos with a total capacity of nearly 1,500MW. Other projects are ongoing and the transmission of electricity from Laos to Vietnam is likely to meet schedule.

Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Phankham Viphavanh met with 60 Vietnamese and 20 Lao enterprises in Hanoi on Jan.10, during which they wished that Vietnam will top the lineup of countries and territories investing in Laos and that more Lao investors will channel their capital into Vietnam.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting with 60 Vietnamese and 20 Lao enterprises in Hanoi on January 10. Photo: VNA

Leaders consented to joint celebrations during 2022 – Year of Vietnam – Laos, Laos – Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 45th anniversary of the signing of Vietnam – Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

They will effectively realise protocols and plans on national defence-security cooperation, as well as work closely together to seek, unearth and repatriate remains of Vietnamese soliders falling in Laos.

They vowed to continue working closely together and offering mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly in ASEAN, the United Nations and Mekong sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.

They will maintain ASEAN’s common stance on strategic issues related to regional peace and stability, including the East Sea issue.

The two PMs witnessed the signing and exchange of nine cooperation documents in security, border, economic, banking, education, health care and electricity fields.

On the occasion, Viphavanh invited Chinh to visit Laos in his time of convenience. Chinh accepted the invitation with pleasure.

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