Lam left the capital accompanied by, among others, Fatherland Front Central Committee Chairman Do Van Chien and Vietnamese Ministers of Defense Phan Van Giang, Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Public Security Long Tam Quang.
The delegation also includes Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Nguyen Xuan Thang, and Vice President of the National Assembly (parliament), Nguyen Thi Thanh.
Government and diplomatic sources from both countries agree that the fact that Laos was chosen as the destination for the new president’s first overseas trip shows the importance and priority that Vietnam attaches to its great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with its neighbor.
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung said here that the trip through Laos and Cambodia marks a new stage in the development of relations among the three Indochina countries on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, effective cooperation and respect for each other’s interests and Vietnam.
For her part, Laos Ambassador Hana Khamphao Ernthavanh considered that Lam’s state visit to her country would also contribute to strengthening Vietnam’s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The diplomat said Hanoi plays an important role in strengthening solidarity and the central role of the regional bloc, of which Laos will hold the rotating presidency in 2024.
He said that during Tu Lam’s stay in Vientiane, the two sides will review the progress of cooperation over the years, seek measures to remove the difficulties and obstacles still encountered, and identify future directions for cooperation with a view to further improving it.
The ambassador noted that Hanoi and Vientiane have worked hard to enhance cooperation in trade, which has been steadily expanding, investment, agriculture and infrastructure development.
He pointed out that many large-scale projects funded by Vietnam in Laos, especially in the fields of energy, mining and agriculture, not only contribute to national economic growth, but also create job opportunities for local people.
In 2023, the volume of trade exchange between the two countries exceeded $1.64 billion, while in the first four months of this year it reached $620 million, an annual increase of more than 10 percent.
Likewise, the official development assistance projects that Vietnam has provided to Laos in recent years, especially those aimed at sustainable agricultural development in many difficult and remote areas of the neighboring country, have achieved practical results in favor of social security.
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