National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his host counterpart Saysomphone Phomvihan on May 16 held talks. (Photo: VNA) The Lao leader spoke highly of the significance of the visit, the first by a key Vietnamese leader toLaos in the "Year of Solidarity and Friendship" between Viethnam andLaos. The year 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment ofdiplomatic relations between the two countries and the 45th anniversary of thesigning of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
This is also the highest-level delegation of a foreignNational Assembly to visit Laos since the success of the 11th Congressof the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the beginning of the 9th NationalAssembly term of Laos.
For his part, National Assembly Chairman Huecongratulated the Lao Party,State and people for the great and comprehensive achievements they have achieved over the years, including the very importantcontributions by the Lao National Assembly.
He affirmed that Vietnam always wholeheartedly supportsand accompanies Laos to overcome all difficulties and challenges, continue todevelop sustainably, and have an increasing role and position in theinternational arena.
The two leaders emphasised that, in the face of current complicateddevelopments in the international and regional situation, Vietnam and Laosclearly see the value of maintaining and cultivating the close, loyal andunique neighbourly relationship for the security and development of both.
The two National Assembly Chairmen expressed their delightat the good development of the cooperative relationship between the twocountries and the two National Assemblies. Overcoming difficulties andobstacles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic recently, the two sides have madejoint efforts to maintain regular visits, high-level contacts and bilateralcooperation mechanisms on all channels.
Even in the context of the pandemic, the two sides stillmaintained the momentum of trade and investment development. Two-way trade turnover in the first four months of 2022 reached 558.2 million USD, anincrease of 20.2 percent over the same period in 2021. Vietnam maintains itsposition as the third-largest direct investor in Laos, with 214 valid projectsand a total registered capital of about 5.33 billion USD.
The two sides agreed to work together to effectivelyimplement the agreements and outcomes of the recent high-level visits, including theStrategic Agreement on Cooperation between Vietnam and Laos for the 2021-2030 period and the agreement on bilateral co-operation between the two countriesin the period of 2021-2025.
They also agreed to continue strengthening cooperation indefence, security and border issues to effectively deal with traditionaland non-traditional security challenges; improving the efficiency ofeducation-training cooperation and develop high-quality human resources;strengthening cooperation between localities, people-to-people exchanges, andcreating more favourable conditions for citizens, nationals and businesses ofeach country to live, study and do business in each other's territory andpromote trade and investment cooperation.
Regarding the direction of cooperation in the future, thetwo sides agreed to promote the exchange of delegations and contacts between theleaders of the National Assembly and between committees of the NationalAssemblies of the two countries, the Friendship Parliamentary Groups, the Women'sNational Assembly Deputies Groups and the Groups of young National Assemblydeputies.
The two sides agreed to continue their tradition of closecoordination and mutual support at international, regional and Mekongsub-regional forums, including inter-parliamentary forums such as theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (AIPA), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF)and the Francophone Parliamentary Union (APF).
They also consented to coordinate with the National Assembly of Cambodia to continue improving the process and procedures to upgrade the mechanism of cooperation among the legislatures of the three countries to the NA Chairman-chaired level.
The two leaders signed a cooperation agreement between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National Assembly of Laos for the 2022-2026 period. (Photo: VNA) At the meeting, National Assembly Chairman Hue announcedthe presentation of computers, projectors and cameras to the Lao NationalAssembly Secretariat; and computers, books, and some teaching equipment to theChampasak Provincial Boarding School, the Friendship School and theVietnamese Association in four southern provinces of Laos./.
VNA
