Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith left Ho Chi Chi Minh City on May 17, concluding his three-day official visit to Vietnam, the first foreign trip on his new PM post.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at a working session in Ho Chi Minh City.

During his stay, the Lao leader held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, paid courtesy visits to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang, and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang.

At the meetings, Vietnamese and Lao leaders expressed their joy at the increasing development and strengthened trust of the Vietnam-Laos special relations and comprehensive cooperation, asserting the determination of the two Parties and States to continue promoting the time-honoured relations – an invaluable asset of the two nations.

They committed to closely working to effectively implement agreements agreed by the two countries’ high-raking leaders on enhancing bonds in terms of politics, diplomacy, defence-security, trade and investment.

The officials promised to direct ministries, agencies and local authorities to carry out the cooperation plan between the two governments for 2016 and the Vietnam-Laos cooperation pact for 2016-2020.

The intergovernmental committee on bilateral collaboration should be further strengthened to operate more effectively, they remarked.

They also agreed to coordinate for the effective implementation of agreements signed between the two countries last year, and the protocol on defence-security cooperation for 2016-2020.

The two sides affirmed to effectively perform the protocol on defence-security cooperation for 2016-2020, focusing on developing a peaceful border line that can serve as an example in the region.

They also reached a consensus on boosting engagement in human resources training, closely coordinating at regional and international forums, and working with other countries and international organisations in managing and sustainably using water resources of the Mekong River.

On the occasion, a number of cooperation agreements were signed between the two countries’ ministries, sectors and localities.

VNA