Government chief desires broader cooperation with Laos

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the suggestion during a reception for Lao Vice President Bounthong Chitmany in Hanoi on July 18.
He also urged both sides to further coordinate to seek solutions to bring economic cooperation on a par with their special political ties.

To deepen and increase cooperation, the two nations should maintain all-level delegation exchanges and effectively carry out the agreement reached at the 44th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos inter-governmental committee, Chinh told his guest.
The Vietnamese cabinet leader suggested the two sides boost closer cooperation to build their economies of independence, self-reliance, and intensive and extensive international integration.

He also called for efforts to quickly remove obstacles to businesses, create a stable and transparent legal corridor and a favourable business environment to raise investor confidence.

Chinh also highlighted Vietnam-Laos close cooperation and mutual support at international and regional forums, saying the two countries need to enhance their support to maintain their independence and self-reliance, while significantly contributing to maintaining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s solidarity and centrality.

Both leader showed  their elation at positive developments of the bilateral relationship across multiple fields, and shared the view that the regular meetings by high-ranking leaders have helped to propel the relationship forward and remove obstacles to the implementation of cooperation tasks.

Notably, the first half of this year saw bilateral trade between the two countries reach US$824 million, up 20.6% year-on-year. Vietnamese investment in the neighbouring country stood at US$64.5 million in the first five months, raising its total investment capital to around US$2.6 billion.

The two sides consented to urge their agencies and localities to put into place reached agreements, and coordinate in speeding up the implementation of major cooperation projects to celebrate the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.

Bounthong Chitmany, who is also permanent member of the Secretariat of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party,  emphasized that the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 45 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation have helped the international community get deeper insights into the “unique” special relationship between the two nations.