Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Hanoi on January 10 evening, concluding their two-day trip to visit Laos and co-chair the 47th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation at the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
During the working trip, PM Chinh engaged in nearly 20 activities, covering a diverse range of topics. He held meetings and discussions with all the highest-ranking leaders of the Lao Party, State, and National Assembly, and visited former senior leaders of Laos.
Notably, PM Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone co-chaired two significant events - the 47th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and the Vietnam-Laos Investment Cooperation Conference.
The two PMs also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Park in Vientiane, a gift from the Party, State, and people of Vietnam to their Lao peers.
Both sides agreed on new policies, approaches, mindsets and methods as well as greater determination and more effective measures to boost the cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the coming time.
In addition to strengthening political and diplomatic cooperation, enhancing security and defence collaboration, and promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the two sides committed to raising bilateral trade to 5 billion USD in a more balanced manner, instead of the current figure of just over 2.2 billion USD, with Laos enjoying a trade surplus.
Both sides are also determined to resolve pending issues and projects, paving the way for the two countries to enter a new phase of more practical and effective development, especially in transportation connectivity projects. They also aim to address challenges for businesses to operate smoothly, effectively, and sustainably in both countries.
During the visit, the two countries signed four cooperation documents and handed over seven investment certificates to businesses.
Companies from both sides inked six investment cooperation agreements, totaling billions of USD, in sectors such as aviation, finance, energy, agriculture, and human resources training.
The two sides announced a framework for domestic currency payment and bilateral retail payment connection using QR codes between Vietnam and Laos, facilitating transactions for businesses and citizens in economic, trade, investment, and tourism activities.
The PM’s visit effectively implemented the foreign affairs tasks outlined at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, as well as high-level agreements between Vietnam and Laos, particularly those reached at their Politburo meeting in September 2024./.
