National Assembly Chairwoman receives Lao Foreign Minister hinh anh 1Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA)
– Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a reception in Hanoi on December 24 for Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith who is on an official visit to Vietnam to attend the sixth Vietnam-Laos Foreign Ministerial Political Consultation.

The top legislator described 2019 as a fruitful year of bilateral relations with numerous external activities and important high-level visits. The bilateral cooperation mechanisms have also been intensified, especially in politics-diplomacy, economy, and border.

These achievements were significantly contributed by the two countries’ foreign ministries, she said.

Ngan added that the bilateral parliamentary ties have been strengthened within the framework of the cooperation agreement signed in 2017.

The two sides supported each other at both regional and world inter-parliamentary forums, while maintaining high-level delegation exchanges, Ngan said.

Saleumxay extended the best regards of the Lao National Assembly Chairwoman Pany Yathotou to Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

He informed the host about the earlier workshop held by the two foreign ministries on economic diplomacy, saying this created a good chance for the two sides to share experience in the field.

The minister congratulated Vietnam on taking over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020, and affirmed that Laos is willing to support Vietnam to fulfill this role and the Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020 as well as the non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021.

Ngan thanked the Lao minister for his support and asked the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue working with the Lao counterpart to train the Lao language for Vietnamese diplomats./.


VNA