Viet Nam, Laos hold ninth foreign ministerial-level consultation meeting

At the event, the two FMs noted that the bilateral trade value exceeded US$400 million in the first quarter of 2022, up nearly 20 percent from the same period last year. Vietnamese investors have poured more than US$64 million in Laos over the period.

The two diplomats agreed to continue effectively enforcing the high-level agreements between the two countries and commitments made at the 44th meeting of the Viet Nam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee, including celebrations of the Year of Solidarity and Friendship.

They pledged to further accelerate cooperation and consultation between the two foreign ministries' units and maintain the effectiveness of routine cooperation mechanisms between the ministries.

Both sides vowed to work together to implement the action plan on expanding their bilateral partnership in economic diplomacy from 2020 - 2025 and to review international treaties they are signatories to.

They exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to provide continuous support for each other at multilateral forums as well as join hand with other ASEAN member states to sustain a common stance on the East Sea.

Both sides underscored that all disputes on the East Sea must be settled by peaceful measures based on international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The pair stressed that concerned parties must fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalize the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC)./.