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In an article on the Vietnam-Laos traditional friendship and special solidarity, FM Minh wrote of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos as a rare, pure and faithful relationship, a valuable treasure and an important factor for the development of the two countries.
The Vietnam-Laos great friendship and special solidarity fostered by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane with the two countries’ leaders and people further embracing.
The Vietnamese and Lao people are happily organising various activities to mark the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The Vietnamese and Lao people always preserve and nurture the special solidarity and mutual assistance between the two countries. The relationship has been consolidated and developed since the Indochinese Communist Party founded in 1930.
The relationship between Vietnam and Laos has been unceasingly promoted since the two countries established diplomatic ties and the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, thus contributing to the national construction and liberation cause of the two nations.
At present, the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos are seeing in-depth strong development in various fields.
Vietnam and Laos are further promoting their external and political relationship. The two countries regularly exchange high-ranking delegations, especially since both sides have organised the National Party Congress and National Assembly elections in their respective country.
Since the start of the year, to implement the agreement reached by the two countries’ leaders on the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012, both sides have sped up the exchange of delegations in terms of number and forms of the visits from high-ranking to ministerial, sectoral and local level.
Both countries have established the National Steering Committee on the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012 and are closely coordinated in implementing diversified and practical activities.
The cooperation mechanisms between Vietnam and Laos continue to be maintained to bring into play its efficiency. At the 34th session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee which took place in January, the two sides affirmed to focus on deploying agreements reached by the two countries’ Party and State leaders, jointly organise the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012, beef up bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially economics and investment by Vietnamese enterprises in Laos, and complete activities of the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Sub-Committee to increase its efficiency.
Both countries have cemented their security-defence cooperation in all fields, especially training and education.
Under the project to reinforce and upgrade the Vietnam-Laos national land marker system that is being carried out as scheduled, the two countries are striving to define and build remaining markers along their common border by the end of the year and complete the project by 2014.
Bilateral economic cooperation is further enhanced. On investment, Vietnam ranks second among countries investing in Laos with more than 200 projects worth US$3.57 billion total.
Regarding trade, two-way trade recorded a year-on-year increase of 49.8 percent to US$734 million in 2011. Vietnam and Laos strive to raise the figure to US$1 billion in 2012 and US$2 billion in 2015.
Additionally, both countries have achieved significantly in education with the signing and implementation of a scheme to raise quality and efficiency of Vietnam-Laos cooperation in education and human resource development during the 2011-2020 period.
Bilateral cooperation in transport and communications, culture, sports and tourism and other fields are being promoted. Focus is being paid to cooperation between the two countries’ localities. Over the recent past, the two countries’ border localities have bolstered friendship, solidarity and cooperation to ensure security and order, stability and development in the border. Cooperation between cities and localities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the central province of Ha Tinh in Vietnam and Vientiane, Champassak and Khammoune provinces of Laos have been expanded, particularly in economics and trade, which has helped meet localities’ development requirements and exploit their potentials and strengths in land, natural resources and personnel.
In addition to bilateral cooperation, the two countries have beefed up cooperation within the international and regional frameworks, including the ASEAN, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV), Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV), the Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Vietnam has actively assisted Laos in organizing the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) Summit and the Seventh Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP7) Meeting slated for the end of this year and boosted cooperation with Laos within the Mekong River Commission and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.
In future, in the context of complicated and unforeseen changes in the world and each country’s development requirement, both countries affirmed their determination to maintain and elevate the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation to a new height under the motto of quality and efficiency, contributing to maintaining political stability, sustainable economic growth, in-depth integration and gaining a worthy position in the international arena.
As a close neighbouring nation, the Vietnamese people are always proud of the Lao people as a faithful friend during the past struggles for national liberation and the current national renewal, construction and development.
Meeting commemorates Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties
A meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17 to mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and the 35th anniversary of signing the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
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The relationship has stood the test of time and developed strongly over the years to become a tremendous strength, which has contributed to glorious victories for the Vietnamese and Lao revolutions in the cause of national construction and defence, he noted.
On the occasion, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith presented second class Freedom Orders to the HCM City People’s Committee, People’s Council, Chairman of the People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan, and Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Dua, as well as the Friendship Order to the municipal Department of External Affairs.
Exhibitions opened earlier at the Youth Cultural House and Chi Lang Park, featuring more than 190 photographs and valuable documents illustrating the special bilateral ties between the two countries, particularly between Ho Chi Minh City, and Vientiane and Champasak province.
On the same day, former President Nguyen Minh Triet received a delegation from Laos led by Deputy PM Thongloun Sisoulith.
Triet praised the achievements Laos has made over the past 50 years and the rapid development of Vientiane and Champasak, which play an important part in the country’s national economic development.
He affirmed that HCM City, Vientiane and Champasak are leaders in strengthening ties between the two countries, and that HCM City promotes cooperation with Lao localities.
The former State President also said he hopes that HCM City, in its role as the country’s largest economic hub, will continue to support Lao localities in the future.
Deputy PM Sisoulith praised Triet’s contributions to fostering bilateral ties and said that the young generations of both countries must be responsible for further strengthening the bilateral relationship.
Vietnam, Laos exchange greetings on anniversary
Leaders of Vietnam and Laos have exchanged greetings on 35 years of the signing of the bilateral Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and 50 years of diplomatic ties.
In their message, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed their pleasure at the fine development of the relations between the two Parties, States and peoples over the half century.
They noted that the Vietnam-Laos comprehensive cooperation has seen strong growth over recent years, particularly in investment and trade, thus contributing to socio-economic development in each country.
“We strongly believe that with the determination and efforts of both Parties, States and peoples, the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos will rise to new heights, meeting the aspiration and interest of the people in both countries and helping enhance the role, prestige and position of the two countries in the region and the international arena,” the message reads.
The Lao Party General Secretary cum President Choummaly Sayasone, National Assembly Chairwoman Pany Yathotu and Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong wrote in their message that the establishment of diplomatic relations on September 5, 1962 and the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty between the two countries on July 18, 1977 were important events marking new milestones in the bilateral relationship, which also serves as the legal foundation for the relations in the next period.
The Lao leaders affirmed that the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples have become invaluable assets, the rule for the two countries’ existence and development and one of the decisive factors behind the success of the revolution in each country.
Lao PM highlights ties with Vietnam
The Vietnam-Laos friendship and comprehensive cooperation should be further promoted to ensure the two countries’ sustainable development in the context of difficulties in the world’s situation and the process of the socialist construction of the two sides.
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He is leading a high-ranking CPV and State delegation in an official visit to Laos from July 17 to attend the activities marking the 35th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Mr Thammavong said he hopes the delegation’s visit will make an important contribution to the two countries’ special friendship, adding that these activities will help the two peoples, especially young generations understand deeply about the special relation initialed and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane.
He also stressed that the Lao Government will guide its ministries, departments and localities to implement effectively agreements between the two parties and states.
For his part, Mr Hong Anh congratulated Laos on its great achievements in all fields that the country gained after one year of implementation of the ninth Congress’s Resolution of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and the seventh five-year socio-economic development plan, saying that the country will obtain new and greater success in its renovation cause under the leadership of the LPRP and the guidelines of the Lao Government.
Mr Anh re-affirmed that Vietnam always attaches great importance to Laos and will do its utmost to work together with the neighbouring country to maintain and promote the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states and peoples to a new height.
The two sides were unanimous in the continuous development of the Vietnam-Laos relations. Cooperation in economics, defence-security, culture, education, and science and technology has attained positive results. Especially, the two governments have coordinated closely to implement signed agreements.
On the same day, the Vietnamese delegation participated in the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese Cultural Week in Laos and an exhibition of photos, artifacts and documents on the two countries’ special relations.
*** At the talks in Hanoi on July 17, Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and her Lao counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith expressed their determination to further consolidate and strengthen traditional friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The two sides agreed to continue increasing high-ranking visits and exchanges, promoting cooperation at the State, local and business levels, raising public awareness of the history of special ties and the Vietnam – Laos alliance in the period from 1930 to 2007, as well as jointly holding activities to mark the Vietnam- Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012.
Bilateral economic ties have deepened with Vietnam becoming the second largest investor in Laos with a total capital of US$3.57 billion.
The two leaders pledged to create favourable conditions to step up progress and quality of projects in trade, investment, transport, agriculture, hydropower and mining, towards bringing two-way trade to US$2 billion by 2015.
The two nations will also accelerate cooperation in education, healthcare, agriculture and rural development, infrastructure, tourism, culture, and posts and telecommunication.
Mrs Doan proposed that the two sides promote cooperation in many fields, including scientific research and education to develop human resources for socio-economic development in each country.
While discussing regional and global issues of mutual concern in recent times, both Vietnamese and Laos leaders also noted with pleasure bilateral cooperation in external affairs, sharing information and consulting each side’s viewpoint at the United Nations forums, the ASEAN and ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Meeting, among others.
Vietnam will continue assisting Laos in holding major meetings this year like the seventh Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP 7) Meeting and the ninth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9) Summit.
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