Party General Secretary Le Duan and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong present the Lao Party Central Committee and Government a cloth canopy embroidered with President Ho Chi Minh’s verses “Vietnam and Laos, our two countries have a friendship deeper than the Hong Ha and Cuu Long rivers” during their official visit to Laos, July 15-18, 1977 (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong meets Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachit who is visiting Vietnam, Hanoi, August 9, 2019 (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits and extends Bunpimay new year’s greetings to Laos, April, 12, 2014 (Photo: VNA)

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou attend the opening ceremony of the second Vietnam-Laos border area culture, sports and tourism exchange in Son La, July 5, 2017 (Photo: VNA)

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou co-chair a workshop to share experience in management decentralisation from the central to the grassroots levels, Hanoi March 7, 2017 (Photo: VNA)

Opening ceremony of an exhibition on Vietnam-Laos relations hosted by Vietnam News Agency, December 6, 2017 (Photo: VNA)

Border guards of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia conduct border marker salute ceremony as part of the joint border patrol programme (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City’s volunteer doctors provide medical check-ups for disadvantaged people in Tang Doi village, Dak Chung district, Sekong province (Laos) (Photo: VNA)

An exchange programme between Vietnam-Laos historical witnesses, Lao Bao town, Quang Tri province, September 9, 2009 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s major exports to Laos include petrol, oil, steel, means of transport, cement, confectionary and cereal products. Vietnam is Laos’ third largest trade partner, after Thailand and China (Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Transport and Quang Tri province organise a ceremony to implement the GMS-CBTA on the East-West corridor at Lao Bao international border gate (Quang Tri), June 11, 2009 (Photo: VNA)

Son Lao people visits the Vietnam-Laos revolutionary relic site in Lao Kho village, Phieng Khoai commune, Yen Chau district, one of the first revolutionary base along the Vietnam-Laos border where late President of Laos Kaysone Phomvihane receives great support from local people during the time here (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnam-Laos revolutionary relic site in Lao Kho village (Photo: VNA)

Office of the LaoViet bank in Laos (Photo: VNA)