General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong will visit Laos from November 24-26 at the invitation of the General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Bounnhang Volachith.

This is the CPV leader’s first trip abroad since the 12th Party Congress in January 2016, aiming to affirm Vietnam ’s policy of treasuring ties with Laos and boosting solidarity and cooperation between the two countries.

The Vietnam-Laos friendship, founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane and nurtured by generations of leaders of the two Parties, States and peoples, is a shared treasure of both nations. 

Throughout the history, bilateral ties have been consolidated across various fields. The two sides have implemented agreements between the two Parties and States as well as outcomes of the 38th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Vietnam-Laos. 

Bilateral political relations have been fostered as well. The two sides have worked together to organise meetings and visits among senior leaders of the two Parties and States, while opening research and theory courses for officials of the Lao Party, Government and organisations at all levels. 

They have also strengthened the exchange of information through conferences and shared experience in Party building, socio-economic management, while coordinating in popularising the friendship between Vietnam and Laos . 

Bilateral cooperation in defence, security and external relations is another area that has been developed. The two countries have signed and implemented important legal documents on demarcation, while fostering affiliation in building a shared border of stability and sustainable development. 

Vietnam and Laos have also completed a joint project to upgrade the land marker system on the shared border, while working together in repatriating the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Laos. 

They have prepared for activities to mark the 55 th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-Laos treaty on friendship and cooperation in 2017. 

Along with sound political relations, Vietnam-Laos economic ties have enjoyed strong growth in recent years, laying a foundation to promote their connections and the special relationship. 

Thanks to preferential policies that both countries have given to each other, bilateral trade has risen, reaching nearly 600 million USD in the first half of 2016 with Vietnam ’s exports at about 340 million USD. 

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam has run 266 projects in Laos with a total investment of about 5.5 billion USD. Many Vietnamese-funded projects, mostly in hydropower, mining, rubber and industrial plant planting and transportation, have contributed to the development of Laos . 

The two countries also signed an agreement on strategy to cooperate in transportation for 2016-2025, while working closely together in inspection and implementing signed agreements, as well as in tackling difficulties during the work, creating a synchronised legal corridor to boost economic, trade and investment ties. 

Vietnam and Laos also realised a project to enhance the quality and efficiency of cooperation in education and human resource development in 2011-2020 in parallel with the summary of education-training in 2011-2015 and orientations for the 2016-2020 period. 

The teaching of Vietnamese in schools and agencies of Laos has also been sped up. Currently, more than 12,000 Lao officials and students are studying in Vietnam , while a large number of Vietnamese officials and students study in Laos. 

Meanwhile, bilateral ties in science-technology, agriculture, communications, labour, culture and tourism have also been bolstered, as has friendship and cooperation among ministries, organisations and localities of both sides. 

Cities and provinces of Vietnam have expanded their affiliations with Lao localities and supported them in building infrastructure and improving health care, and human resources and reducing poverty. 

The visit of Party General Secretary Trong aims to highlight the strong support of Vietnam to the renewal and national construction of Laos . 

During the visit, the two sides will discuss their future cooperation as well as measures to improve the efficiency of Vietnam-Laos ties in 2016-2020 in politics, diplomacy, defence, security, economy, culture, education, science and technology as well as affiliation between ministries, sectors and localities of both sides.-VNA