PM’s upcoming Lao visit to wrap up Solidarity, Friendship Year 2022

At the opening of Lao Culture Week in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will pay an official visit to Laos from January 11-12 at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandon.

It will be his first visit to Laos on the capacity as Vietnamese PM. He will also be the first foreign leader to visit Laos since Lao PM Siphandon was elected.

During the visit, PM Chinh will co-chair the 45th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee and attend the closing ceremony of Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.

Award ceremony for 2022 special competition on history of Vietnam-Laos special relationship (Photo: VNA)

The visit will affirm Vietnam’s consistent policy of treasuring and prioritising the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive partnership between the two nations, as well as Vietnam’s support for Laos during its national renovation and integration.

It is also meant to realise the foreign policy set at the 13th National Party Congress and reinforce external activities via Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy channels, as well as the Politburo’s conclusion on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new situation.

As scheduled, both sides will review outstanding achievements in bilateral ties in 2022 and lay out major orientations for 2023, jointly hold major celebrations, discuss measures to enhance political-diplomatic and national defence-security cooperation, and effectively implement legal documents related to border and overseas Vietnamese and Lao affairs.

They will also push forward economic-trade-investment, education and culture ties, connectivity between the two economies, contributing to effectively carrying out key projects and mutual liaison at regional and global forums, particularly within the framework of ASEAN and Mekong sub-regional cooperation.

The Vietnamese leader is also due to meet Vietnamese community living in Laos and commit the Party and State’s support for them, thus contributing to upholding the great national unity.

A range of political, economic, education, cultural and tourism and people-to-people exchange activities were held during Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and his Lao former counterpart Phankham Viphavanh (Photo: VNA)

Two-way trade was estimated at 1.63 billion USD last year, up 20% annually. With 238 valid projects worth about 5.34 billion USD in Laos, Vietnam remained the third biggest investor in the country.

About 14,000 Lao students are studying in 160 Vietnamese educational establishments. In the first nine months of last year, Laos welcomed around 197,000 Vietnamese visitors and roughly 26,000 Lao tourists arrived in Vietnam./.