Vientiane (VNA) – The Lao News Agency (KPL) said in an article published on October 7 that Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's upcoming official visit to Laos will further consolidate the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between the two countries' Parties, States and peoples.
The trip is expected to push the concrete realisation of that strategic cohesion, deepen integration and connectivity, increase mutual support between the two economies, build a stable and transparent legal framework and create conditions for both sides to meet their development goals.
Opening the piece, KPL said few relationships in modern Southeast Asian history have been as close-knit, sincere and enduring as the one between Laos and Vietnam, forged through struggle, sacrifice, trust and deep solidarity between the two peoples.
The article said the relationship grew not from calculations of interest or coercion but from blood, trust and comradeship amid war. During the resistance wars against French colonialists and the US imperialists, countless Vietnamese soldiers died on Lao soil, while many Lao people also shed blood to defend the strategic Truong Son range corridor that linked the two peoples' destinies.
After peace returned, the two countries stood side by side in national construction. They signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1977, laying the legal foundation for broader ties. Under the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, bilateral relations have expanded across politics, national defence - security, economy, education, culture, and science - technology.
Political and defence-security collaboration remains a key pillar. The two sides have coordinated closely, reinforced political trust, jointly maintained security and public order, fought transnational crime and worked to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.
Economically, Laos is Vietnam's largest overseas investment destination. The two have signed trade agreements to expand cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit while respecting international trade practices and norms. They have also signed a goods transit transport agreement and issued rules governing Lao goods transiting Vietnam, built supermarkets and Vietnamese goods exhibition centres in various Lao localities, and developed free trade areas at border gates.
Vietnam remains one of Laos's three largest investors, alongside China and Thailand, on the back of trade and investment promotion. Vietnamese companies have invested in agriculture, processing and manufacturing, and finance and banking, among others. Many projects have operated effectively and profitably, created jobs, supported social welfare, reduced poverty and boosted growth in both countries.
A highlight is the Laos-Vietnam International Port project in Vung Ang, Ha Tinh province, along with studies and construction of cross-border road and rail routes along the East-West economic corridor. The projects would give Laos access to maritime transport and international shipping routes, supporting its strategic goal of becoming a connectivity and logistics hub in the Greater Mekong Subregion and Southeast Asia.
Vietnam has also consistently supplied development assistance to Laos. Many infrastructure facilities, schools and hospitals across Laos were built with non-refundable aid from the Vietnamese Government. Laos, for its part, has backed Vietnam wholeheartedly at international forums and in times of difficulty.
Cultural and educational ties have grown through cooperation agreements covering conservation, museums, performing arts, cinematography, publishing, information and personnel training. On cultural heritage, the two countries have jointly staged exhibitions on their history, culture, land and people, and Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane and Souphanouvong. Many valuable documents have also been jointly preserved and studied.
Vietnam offers thousands of scholarships to Lao students each year. Tens of thousands of Lao students studied or are studying in Vietnam, serving as bridges of friendship between the two peoples.
The article concluded that current cooperation underscores the special nature and enduring vitality of the relationship. The two countries have consistently backed each other's stances globally and worked to uphold the principles of peace, independence, non-interference in internal affairs and respect for international law.
Amid competition for influence among major regional powers, Laos and Vietnam have held onto foreign policies of independence and self-reliance, jointly safeguarding their common interests in Indochina and contributing to a united, strong ASEAN Community, the article said.
More than 60 years after the two countries established diplomatic ties, the Laos-Vietnam relationship can be described as special, rare, steadfast and enduring. As both countries enter a new era with aspirations for strong and prosperous development, preserving and advancing the ties is not only a political task but also a sacred responsibility of every citizen, it added./.
