Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has described the official visit to Vietnam by Lao Vice President Phankham Viphavanh as a significant contribution to deepening traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) receives Lao Vice President Phankham Viphavanh.

At a reception for Phankham Viphavanh in Hanoi on July 11, the Party chief said Vietnam strongly supports Laos’s renovation and believes that under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), Laos will successfully implement the Resolution adopted at the 10th National Party Congress and build Laos into a country of peace, independence, democracy, unity, and prosperity towards socialism, particularly fulfilling the role of ASEAN Chair in 2016.

He extolled the remarkable achievements that Laos has gained over the past 30 years of renovation, and congratulated Phankham Viphavanh on his new election as Politburo member, Standing member of the LPRP Central Committee’s Secretariat and Vice President.

He highly valued the outcomes of the talks between the two countries’ high-level Party delegations and suggested the two sides enhance coordination to actively realise the agreements reached by the two Parties and States along with the Vietnam – Lao Joint Statement issued in April 2016.

It is recommended for the two nations to increase information exchanges in Party building and socio-economic management; and deepen bilateral cooperation in politics, defence, security, economy, culture, education and science-technology, he said.

The Party chief urged the two sides to bolster collaboration at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms to help maintain peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond.

For his part, the Lao Vice President expressed his pleasure to visit Vietnam for the first time since his election. He took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their invaluable assistance to Laos in the past and at present.

He confirmed that Laos will work together with Vietnam to nurture the special rapport between the two countries and increase it to a new height for the sake of the two peoples.

He earlier held talks with Politburo member and standing member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Dinh The Huynh and Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, during which he confirmed that the Lao Party and State will closely coordinate with Vietnam to implement effectively the Vietnam – Lao Joint Statement issued in April 2016, as well as the cooperation agreements reached by the two Parties and States.

VNA