Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung welcomed Lao Minister of Education and Sports Thongsalith Mangnomek, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, in Hanoi on December 16.
Trung stressed that Mangnomek’s visit comes at a particularly meaningful time, following closely on the heels of Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam’s successful state visit to Laos. During that trip, leaders of the two countries agreed to further deepen and elevate bilateral relations to the “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion”, in which education and training are identified as a key area.
The Foreign Minister highly valued the close and trustworthy cooperation between the Lao ministry and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training in recent years. He emphasised that the results of their 2025 cooperation plan serve as an important prerequisite for the successful rollout of the 2026 plan, contributing to training quality human resources for both countries and to raising younger generations' awareness of the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.
For his part, Mangnomek lauded the significant and meaningful achievements Vietnam and its people have recorded, particularly in external affairs and international integration. He noted that Vietnam’s role and standing have continued to rise regionally and internationally, with important contributions made by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Lao minister also voiced his confidence that the Communist Party of Vietnam will successfully organise its 14th National Congress in early 2026.
On this occasion, Mangnomek briefed Trung on the outcomes of his talks with Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son. The talks reviewed the results of cooperation between the two ministries and outlined orientations for collaboration in the new period, with an emphasis on implementing the ministries' 2026 cooperation agreement as well as the outcomes of the recent 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee.
He appreciated Vietnam’s wholehearted support for Laos over the years, and affirmed that the Lao ministry will continue to work closely and effectively with the Vietnamese side to improve the training of high-quality human resources, and build robust coordination mechanisms for the selection, training, and utilisation of personnel after graduation to ensure investment efficiency and sustainable cohesion.
The visiting official also underscored the need to step up communications and education efforts among younger generations on the special Vietnam-Laos solidarity, helping to preserve and deepen the relationship between the two countries in a more substantive, practical, and effective manner./.
VNA
