Vietnam attaches importance to people-to-people exchange with Laos

Man made the statement while meeting his visiting Lao counterpart Sommad Pholsena, who also serves as Chairman of the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity, in Hanoi.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and its members – the Vietnam Peace Committee and the Vietnam – Laos Friendship Association have closely coordinated with those of Laos to host various meaningful activities, he noted, adding that both sides have also offered active support to each other at multilateral people-to-people forums, contributing to reinforcing the long-standing ties between the two countries.

He urged the Vietnam Peace Committee and the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity to come up with more practical and specific cooperation programmes and to educate younger generations of Vietnam and Laos on the two countries’ special traditional friendship and their major joint events.

Pholsena, for his part, updated his host on the outcomes of the meeting between the two committees, saying the two sides share deep awareness of their important roles in diplomacy and people-to-people exchange.

Agreeing with Man’s proposal, he pledged Laos will continue promoting education on and nurturing the bilateral ties. Laos will also step up cultural exchange, trade and tourism promotion with Vietnam and work with its neighbour to address war aftermaths and take mine action.

During the meeting, NA Vice Chairman Man also highlighted the growing partnership between the two countries’ legislatures after the visit of Lao NA Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane to Vietnam in December 2021 and that of top Vietnamese legislator Vuong Dinh Hue to Laos in May 2022, noting that progress of investment projects has been accelerated.

Obstacles to the two countries’ economic cooperation has been actively removed thanks to concerted efforts of the two NAs and Governments, he said.