Ha Noi, Vientiane promote close and sustainable cooperation

The talks took place within the framework of the State visit to Laos by General Secretary To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend a ceremony marking the 50th National Day of Laos and co-chair a high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

Tounalom expressed his delight in welcoming the high-level delegation of Ha Noi at a time when Laos is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its National Day, asserting that the visit once again reflects the close and longstanding friendship between the two capitals.

Nguyen, for his part, congratulated the Lao people on their historic achievements over 50 years of national construction and 40 years of development, notably stable GDP growth, improving living standards, and rising per capita income—contributing to enhancing the nation' role and position in the region and internationally.

The authorities, and people of Ha Noi and Vientiane always value their traditional cooperation which is a key component of the bilateral relationship.

The two leaders vowed to continue strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two cities across all channels and sectors, deepening existing cooperation outcomes and expanding into new areas.

They underlined the need to fully and effectively implement the strategic direction agreed upon by their senior leaders through infrastructure connectivity projects, economic linkages, and people-to-people exchanges.

Leaders of both capitals highly appreciated the results achieved under the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Party Committees and administrations of Ha Noi and Vientiane for the 2022-2025 period.

The two capital cities have jointly implemented many effective activities, projects, and programs, promoted regular high-level delegation exchanges and concretized strategic cooperation through two city-level agreements.

Eight agreements were signed between departments and sectors in areas such as Party building, economics, investment, agriculture, health, education, and people-to-people exchanges, they noted.

Cooperation activities in education, scholarship support, cadre training, vocational training, agriculture, and healthcare have been actively carried out.

Various forms of exchange such as experience-sharing workshops and investment cooperation forums jointly organized by both sides have yielded practical results in many aspects, reflecting the comprehensive, substantive, and mutually supportive cooperation for development between the two capitals.

Regarding future cooperation, both sides pledged to strengthen collaboration in Party building and political system development, enhance cadre training and education–training cooperation and implement economic development support projects for Vientiane, especially promoting cooperation in economics and trade.

A number of investment, trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and people-to-people events will be held in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam–Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in the Viet Nam–Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2027.

Following the talks, a ceremony was held to award the Second-Class Development Order to the city of Ha Noi for its positive contributions to the development of cooperation between the two capitals.

Notably, the construction of the headquarters of the Department of Justice and the People's Procuracy of Vientiane Capital, inaugurated in April last year, is a symbol of the strong friendship between the two capitals and of Vientiane's social development./.