Vietnamese Party, State and Government officials joined staff of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam in a celebration of Laos’ traditional Bun Pi May New Year festival held in Hanoi on April 10.

Speaking at the ceremony, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong sent her best New Year wishes to Lao Party and State leaders and people, while congratulating the country on its great achievements reaped in recent years.

Phong affirmed that the traditional friendship between the two countries, which was developed by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and nurtured by generations of leaders, become a common invaluable asset of both nations.

Vietnam vows to work to lift the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos to a higher level in the future, towards bringing practical benefits to their people, as well as contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, she stated.

Lao Ambassador Somphone Sichaleune expressed his gratitude to Vietnam’s senior officials for their participation at the event, which offered a good chance for participants to review cooperation results between the two countries in recent times.

He also wished Vietnamese people under the sound leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam will score more success in the national construction and defence.-VNA