Vientiane (VNA) – Lao media have continued to highlight the results of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s official visit to the neighbouring country on October 8–9, describing it as a boost to practical cooperation in trade, investment, strategic infrastructure, digital transformation and social welfare.
In reports published on October 11, Lao outlets said the visit not only strengthened the political foundation of bilateral ties but also generated fresh momentum for economic cooperation between the two countries.
Pasaxon, the official newspaper of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, and the Lao News Agency (KPL) reported that talks between Lao Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and his Vietnamese counterpart were highly successful.
Both sides focused on resolving obstacles and accelerating key transport and economic projects. They reaffirmed their commitment to major initiatives aimed at helping Laos transform itself from a landlocked country into a regional connectivity hub. These include the Vientiane–Hanoi expressway, development of Vung Ang seaport, railway links and oil pipelines.
Vientiane Mai highlighted the role of legislative bodies in supervising and supporting governments to ensure that economic and trade agreements are implemented seriously, bringing tangible benefits to businesses and people in both countries.
From an economic perspective, Lao Xperts, a leading Lao economic news website, examined investment figures announced at the 2026 Laos–Vietnam Investment Promotion Conference, held during the visit.
Official figures showed the Lao government approved 45 projects in the management and concession sectors in the first nine months of 2026, with a total value of 8.57 billion USD. Vietnam remained the leading foreign investor in Laos, with 4.7 billion USD, accounting for about 55% of the total approved investment.
Lao Xperts said Vietnamese investment was important to Laos’ economic development, helping expand production and create jobs. It said the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnamese Business Association in Laos also called for further administrative reforms and greater transparency to turn cooperation agreements into effective projects.
The visit concluded with the exchange of 11 government-level cooperation documents and 17 documents on investment cooperation between businesses and localities, establishing a framework for the next phase of bilateral cooperation.
Social welfare and digital technology also featured prominently in Lao media coverage. Laophattana News described the handover of a population management system and digital citizen identification system as a timely breakthrough that would help Laos overcome public administration infrastructure constraints and advance its goals of building a digital government, digital economy and digital society.
The Lao Youth Radio highlighted Vietnamese telecommunications company Star Telecom (Unitel), which signed memoranda of understanding with Vientiane and Champasak province on digital government, smart cities and online public services. The agreements reflect a shift towards technology-driven and smarter governance cooperation.
Lao media concluded that the tangible achievements in economic, trade, infrastructure and digital cooperation would provide a solid foundation for further strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between the two Parties, States and peoples in the new development period./.
