President Truong Tan Sang left Pakse International Airport in Champasack province on February 11, concluding his three-day official visit to Laos with an agreement that both sides will work to step up bilateral ties in all fields.
Earlier, President Sang made a tour to Attapeu province which borders Vietnam’s central highlands province of Kon Tum.
There, he paid a visit to the family of Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone, met with the Attapeu Governor and visited socio-economic facilities invested by the Kon Tum-headquartered Hoang Anh Gia Lai group.
Sang gave high estimations of Attapeu’s economic cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially that with the Hoang Anh Gia Lai group in implementing the latter-invested social welfare assistance model, suggesting expanding the model in other localities in both Vietnam and Laos.
He also suggested Attapeu in particular and the two countries’ health and education sectors in general to cooperate with each other in the exchange of doctors, nurses and teachers.
The Vietnamese president said he hopes Attapeu will create possible favourable conditions to enable more Vietnamese businesses to invest in the locality as well as actively participate in activities to mark the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012.
The same day, President Sang and Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone attended a ground-breaking ceremony for Attapeu International Airport. The airport is invested by the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group.
Talking with the press on the results of President Sang’s trip, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said the visit was successful, depicting profoundly the two countries’ special friendship and solidarity as well as their comradeship and fraternity.
The two sides reached consensus on the importance and determination to constantly foster the two countries’ traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, making it an invaluable asset that needs to be preserved and passed to future generations.
He said during the visit, the leaders officially launched the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012 to mark the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the 35th anniversary of the signing of Vietnam–Laos Amity and Cooperation Treaty.
Furthermore, the two sides agreed to beef up cooperation in all fields, ranging from politics, external relations, defence and security to economics, trade, investment, culture and education and collaborate in effectively implementing the results of the 34th session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee.
They showed their determination to strengthen the two countries’ economic ties on par with their established political relations to bring two-way trade to 2 billion USD by 2015.
They also agreed to encourage and facilitate the two countries’ businesspeople to create more practical projects to benefit each country’s social welfare and economic development.
The two countries’ leaders affirmed to continue cooperating and coordinating closely at international and regional forums, especially the United Nations, ASEAN, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Mekong sub-region.
Vietnam gave support to Laos’ bid to join the World Trade Organisation and its organisation of important international conferences this year, said Deputy FM Vinh.
“The success of the visit reflects greatly the special solidarity, loyalty, and closeness between the two Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Laos. The two sides are determined to spare no effort to strengthen and develop the special solidarity forever,” Vinh asserted./.
