Vietnam, Laos hold high-level talks

VOV.VN - Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary of the Laos People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith held high-level talks on June 28 to discuss measures to incessantly develop relations between both parties and nations.

In the spirit of the unique solidarity and mutual trust between the two sides, both leaders informed each other about the situation of their respective Party and country, whilst also comparing notes on international and regional issues of shared concern.

This marks the first overseas trip made by Thongloun Sisoulith in his capacity as Lao Party General Secretary and President for the 2021 to 2026 tenure. The visit also aims to implement the consistent foreign policy aims of the nations, with a specific target of promoting the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive co-operation of both sides. This is along with deepening the close-knit and mutual trust between the senior leaders moving forward.

The trip is taking place in the context of the rapidly evolving and increasingly complicated global political situation, with peace, security, and development facing many obstacles. In addition, the increasingly complicated nature of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been negatively affecting multiple fields on a global scale.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to be the focus of disputes and engagement of several major countries. Meanwhile, nations both inside and outside of the region have adjusted their policies and consider ASEAN to be an important bridge to increase their influence within the region.

In Southeast Asia, ASEAN continues to promote intra-regional connectivity, along with community-building, and is striving develop relationships with partners both inside and outside of the region. This is along with facing challenges of playing a central role in the regional architecture and maintaining solidarity and consensus within the bloc.

Amid this context, mutual relations between Vietnam and Laos continue to see constant development in an effective and substantive manner across a multitude of fields. Indeed, closer political relations between the two countries plays a key role and overall orientation in bilateral ties, while co-operation mechanisms are consistently maintained in a flexible manner.

Co-operation in defence, security, and foreign affairs continues to enjoy steady growth, thereby serving as a pillar in the two countries' relations, while co-operation in economics, culture, education, science, and technology has developed finely and achieved positive results. In addition, co-operation between local departments and ministries continues to be promoted and carried out in diverse and flexible forms.

The visit to the country by the top leader of Laos is believed to provide an opportunity for the two sides to further exchange their respective experiences in development and seeking measures to push ahead with the implementation of high-level agreements between the two Parties and countries in the future.

During the talks, the leaders accentuated the strategic significance of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, which, they said, are an invaluable asset shared by the two nations, and a factor guaranteeing their existence and development. 

They consented to work together to step up the Vietnam-Laos comprehensive cooperation on the basis of promoting the spirit of independence, self-reliance, equal and win-win cooperation and giving priority and incentives to each other, and supporting and creating favourable conditions for mutual development, for the prosperity of each country, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in Southeast Asia and in the world at large.

The pair reached a consensus on intensifying information exchange, consultation and coordination, and continuing to support each other in international and regional issues and activities at multilateral forums, promoting the central role of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms as well as the important roles of the United Nations, the Mekong Sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM) so as to contribute to maintaining peace and cooperation and development; and boost coordination with Cambodia to implement the agreement between the three Prime Ministers on the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, and actively carry out the Action Plan to connect the three economies by 2030.

The two leaders also pledged to enhance cooperation and coordination with each other and with relevant countries and international organisations to manage, develop, and use the Mekong River’s water sources sustainably and effectively.

They stressed the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability as well as ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, settling disputes in the sea by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and promoting the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and working towards the formation of an effective and pratical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international law.

The top Lao leader invited the Vietnamese Party chief and his wife to pay an official friendship visit to Laos, and the invitation was graciously accepted.  The latter also invited senior Party and State leaders of Laos to visit Vietnam in the time ahead.

As part of the occasion, General Secretary Trong and Laotian General Secretary and President Sisoulith witnessed the signing of a series of co-operation agreements between the two sides following their talks.

Among the agreements were documents relating to the mutual co-operation strategy for the 2021 to 2030 period and on bilateral collaboration from 2021 to 2025.

Numerous pacts for co-operation between various Vietnamese and Laotian ministries were signed at the event, including those between the two ministries of Planning and Investment, and between the Party Central Committee's Office of Vietnam and the LPRP Central Committee's Office for the 2021 to 2025 period.  

Other co-operation documents were a collaboration plan on culture, art, and tourism for 2021 to 2025 between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. This is in addition to another co-operation plan in the field of information between the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, and an agreement between the Party Central Committee's Mass Mobilisation Commission and the Laos Front for National Construction’s Central Committee.

To mark the occasion, a number of Vietnamese and Lao enterprises also inked economic contracts.

 

Mời quý độc giả theo dõi VOV.VN trên

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