General Secretary To Lam begins State visit to Laos

The visit is made at the invitation of Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos.

He is accompanied by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of its Organization Commission Le Minh Hung; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai; Minister of National Phan Van Giang; Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization Trinh Van Quyet; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission Tran Sy Thanh; Chief of the Party Central Committee's Office Pham Gia Tuc; and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.

Lao Ambassador to Viet Nam Khamphao Ernthavanh said, the Party leader's State visit to Laos is expected to create a strong new momentum for the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between the two countries.

The ambassador stressed that the trip comes at a particularly meaningful time, as both countries have just successfully concluded their respective Party congresses. Laos held the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party from January 6-8, while Viet Nam convened the 14th National Party Congress from January 19-23.

The visit provides an opportunity for the two Parties and countries to continue affirming their great special solidarity, faithful attachment, and unwavering bond, a relationship that has been tested and continuously nurtured throughout history. At the same time, it reflects the highest political determination of the top leaders of both Parties and nations to further advance the bilateral ties in an increasingly substantive and effective manner.

Highlighting recent achievements in economic cooperation, the ambassador said two-way trade reached US$2.6 billion in 2025, reflecting robust growth. At the 48th meeting of the Viet Nam–Laos Intergovernmental Committee, the two sides agreed to strive for annual trade growth of 10–15 percent, with a near-term target of US$5 billion and a long-term goal of US$10 billion./.