Vientiane (VNA) - The online version of Pasaxon - the official organ of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party - on February 5 published an article praising General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam’s state visit to Laos as a symbol of the special strategic cohesion between Laos and Vietnam.
The article noted that for the Lao Party, State and people, the visit is a political and diplomatic event of particular significance, marking a new milestone in the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between the two brotherly nations. The visit carries special symbolic meaning as it is General Secretary Lam’s first overseas trip since his re-election as General Secretary of the 14th Central Committee Communist Party of Vietnam.
It takes place after both countries successfully held their Party congresses and defined major development orientations for a new stage, creating a timely opportunity for the two Parties to enhance strategic exchanges, share experience in leadership, governance and Party building, and align long-term directions to deepen bilateral ties.
Both sides emphasise maintaining political trust at the highest level as the core foundation for cooperation in all fields. In practice, political trust between Laos and Vietnam is among the deepest and most solid globally, facilitating long-term and strategic cooperation projects.
The article highlighted that a key focus of the visit is the emphasis on economic, investment and trade cooperation, an increasingly important pillar of bilateral ties. Vietnam is currently one of the three largest foreign investors in Laos, with more than 240 valid projects and a total registered capital of around 5.5 billion USD.
Vietnamese investments are concentrated in energy, mining, agriculture and forestry, telecommunications, finance and banking, and services, making significant contributions to Laos’s socio-economic development, particularly in remote and disadvantaged areas. Bilateral trade has been maintained at 1.6–1.7 billion USD annually and surged to nearly 3 billion USD last year, reflecting increasingly strong and sustained economic connectivity.
Education, training and human resources development continues to be among the most durable pillars of the special relationship. Vietnam is the largest destination for Lao students, hosting around 14,000–16,000 learners, many of whom later become key leaders, managers and experts in Laos, reflecting a long-term strategic and humanistic dimension of bilateral ties.
The visit also reinforces coordination at regional and international forums, particularly within ASEAN and sub-regional mechanisms, as the two countries continue to support each other on issues of peace, stability and sustainable development amid intensifying global strategic competition, the article noted.
Beyond its political significance, the visit reflects deep sincerity. Choosing Laos as the first overseas destination of the new term reaffirms the faithful, transparent and fraternal bond between the two countries' people - a rare relationship forged through shared revolutionary struggles and sustained in national development.
The article concluded that the visit reaffirms shared strategic vision and long-term development interests, injects new momentum into the special Laos–Vietnam relationship, and opens broader prospects for cooperation, demonstrating the strong political resolve of both sides to elevate bilateral ties to new heights, in line with historical bonds and the demands of the times./.
