The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association held a get-together on November 27 in Hanoi to mark the National Day of Laos.

Extending greetings to Lao friends on the occasion, Vice President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association Nguyen Huy Quang said that Vietnam is delighted at the socio-economic achievements that Laos has made in the past years.

Quang also highlighted a number of activities which manifest the special ties between the two countries such as celebrations during the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2012, and the two grand meetings taking place on the same day in the capital cities of both countries on July 17 this year to mark 35 years of the signing of Vietnam – Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and 50 th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

In parallel with the development of political ties, economic and trade ties between the two countries also saw remarkable growth.

Vietnam has so far invested over 3.5 billion USD in Laos, ranking second among 52 countries and territories investing in the land-locked country. Two-way trade is expected to reach over 700 million USD this year, up 43 percent year-on-year.

Somphone Sichalenne, Lao ambassador to Vietnam, remarked that the exchange of high-ranking officials between Laos and Vietnam has laid a firm foundation to maintain and foster the bilateral traditional relations, bringing practical benefits to the two peoples.

The ambassador said Laos is determined to fulfill the goal of basically eradicating hunger by 2015 and rising above the rank of a poor and under-developed country by 2020.-VNA