Vietnamese, Lao Foreign Ministries hold sixth political consultation

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung and his Lao counterpart Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune co-chaired the sixth political consultation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs via videoconference on August 31, focusing on seeking measures to accelerate cooperation between the two sides and discussing international and regional issues of shared concern.

Both sides agreed that despite impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have maintained high-level meetings and exchanges as well as bilateral cooperation mechanisms in various forms. They particularly took note that in the past two months, both sides coordinated in organising the Vietnam visit by General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in June and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Laos in early August.

They acknowleged the deepened defence and security partnership, as well as growing economic, trade and investment cooperation, with two-way trade reaching 764.5 million USD in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 34.8 million USD.

Bilateral collaboration in other fields such as transport, education-training, culture-society and people-to-people exchange has also been promoted, they noted.

The two Deputy FMs agreed on a number of measures to increase the role of the two Foreign Ministries in fostering the bilateral partnership of the two countries, especially in speeding up the implementation of signed agreements, enhancing the efficiency of delegation exchanges and optimising international resources for socio-economic development in each country.

They also discussed a plan to hold the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022 to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 45 years of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Amity, considering it a chance to strengthen communications and education on the tradition of the special friendship between the two countries to people of both sides, especially the youth.

Regarding international and regional issues of mutual concern, the two sides noted that the world and regional situation has continued to see complicated and unpredictable developments. They stressed the need to continue collaborating and supporting each other at regional and international forums, especially within the UN, ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms and in matters of strategic significance related to peace and stability in the region and security and development in each country, including the East Sea issue.

They pledged to continue working closely together to deal with COVID-19, promote access to vaccine and the transfer of vaccine production technology as well as COVID-19 treatment medicines in a fair and effective manner.

Regarding cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries, both sides concurred to maintain and promote the effectiveness of consultation mechanisms at ministerial and deputy ministerial levels, while regularly strengthening exchanges among agencies of the two ministries, especially in the fields of personnel training, strategic research, economic diplomacy, international law, consular affairs, and border affairs.

They agreed to organise the next political consultation in 2022./.