Ahead of the visit, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong gave an interview to the press on its significance, objectives and importance.

Deputy FM Nguyen Manh Cuong said this is the first official visit by the Standing member of the Party Secretariat to the two close neighbouring countries, taking place at a time of political and cultural significance. People in Laos and Cambodia are preparing for their traditional New Year festivals, Bun Pi-may and Chol Chhnam Thmey, which reflect cultural identity, community solidarity and long-standing ties among the three Indochinese countries.

The visit also comes shortly after Vietnam successfully held the 14th National Party Congress, elections to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels, completed the consolidation of its leadership apparatus and began implementing new strategic orientations.

The visit follows the highly successful state visit by Party General Secretary To Lam to Laos and Cambodia in February 2026, showing continuity and consistency in the implementation of the Party’s foreign policy. According to Nguyen Manh Cuong, this continues policy direction and translates high-level commitments into practical action, adding fresh impetus to trilateral cooperation.

Amid fast-changing, complex and unpredictable developments at the regional and global levels, strengthening Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relations is necessary, particularly as all three countries are undergoing development, modernization and deeper international integration. Close coordination among the three sides will help seize opportunities, reduce risks and support development.

The visit is important in several areas. It reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of prioritizing ties with Laos and Cambodia, helps consolidate political trust among the three Parties and States, and reviews and advances the implementation of high-level commitments and agreements, contributing to more effective, substantive and reliable relations between Vietnam and Laos, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia.

It also helps strengthen understanding among the peoples of the neighbouring countries, especially younger generations, of the solidarity, friendship and close bonds between Vietnam and Laos, and between Vietnam and Cambodia. Youth and student exchanges and twinning activities between localities have helped nurture these ties, while thousands of Lao and Cambodian students studying in Vietnam each year continue to serve as long-term bridges for friendship.

During the visit, Tran Cam Tu will hold discussions with senior leaders of Laos and Cambodia on major orientations to boost comprehensive cooperation, with a focus on effectively realizing agreed commitments. Priority areas include deepening cooperation in ways that deliver practical benefits to people, such as connectivity infrastructure, border trade, education and training, and digital transformation.

According to Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vietnam’s relations with Laos and Cambodia have continued to develop positively and comprehensively, with substantive results across all areas.

With Laos, political relations remain a solid foundation, with high levels of trust shown in frequent high-level exchanges, effective cooperation mechanisms and close coordination at international forums. Following To Lam’s state visit, the two sides have promoted “strategic cohesion”, reflecting deep and coordinated cooperation from development vision to concrete policies.

In economic cooperation, Vietnam-Laos ties have seen clear progress. Bilateral trade reached nearly US$3 billion in 2025, up almost 33% from 2024. Vietnam is Laos’s third-largest trading partner and one of its leading investors, with 274 projects worth nearly US$6 billion. Key projects in transport, energy and logistics infrastructure are gradually creating common development space.

Defence and security cooperation remains a key pillar, helping maintain political stability and social order, particularly in border areas. Cooperation in education, culture, healthcare and agriculture has also produced positive results.

With Cambodia, bilateral ties have advanced strongly, with political trust further strengthened. Vietnam is Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner globally and its largest within ASEAN. Bilateral trade hit more than US$11.3 billion in 2025, up nearly 12% from the previous year.

Vietnam has 229 investment projects in Cambodia with total capital of nearly US$3 billion, focusing on sectors such as agriculture, telecommunications, banking and energy. These projects bring economic benefits, create jobs and contribute to local socio-economic development.

Defence and security cooperation between the two countries continues to be enhanced, playing an important role in maintaining stability along the shared border. Cooperation in culture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges, particularly between border localities, has also increased.

Overall, Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relations are built on three main pillars: strong political trust, expanding economic cooperation and increasingly close people-to-people ties. This provides a solid foundation for the three countries to develop together amid deepening international integration.

On that basis, the visit by Tran Cam Tu is expected to bring new momentum in implementing high-level commitments, strengthening economic connectivity, expanding cooperation in education and training, and intensifying people-to-people exchanges, especially among younger generations.

With strong political determination from the leadership of the three Parties and States, and the long-standing solidarity among their people, the visit is expected to succeed, contributing to reinforcing and further forging the comprehensive friendship and cooperation among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia for peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.

Vietnam, Laos move to operationalise “strategic cohesion” in bilateral ties

The official visit to Laos by Politburo member and Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu hightlights the political trust between the two Parties, States and peoples, as well as the Vietnamese Party and State's consistent policy of giving the top strategic priority to ties with Laos.