The close and loyal ties of friendship between Vietnam and Laos is a vivid manifestation of international relations. The people of the two countries have been living under the same roof of Indochina, sharing the same Truong Son mountains and Mekong river in peace for a long time. They have fond memories of sharing sacred things, blood and tears and essentials such as rice, salt, needles and threads.

Both countries experienced the long struggles against foreign aggression and always stood side by side in the fight against common enemies. The ties of solidarity and friendship is their valuable asset.

Since the two countries established diplomatic ties in September 1962 they have been very proud of their close geographic positions and similar cultures. Diverse activities have been promoted to support each other during the past struggles against the common enemies as well as in the current process of national construction.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the friendship between Vietnam and Laos is higher than the mountain, longer than the river, larger than the sea, brighter than the full moon and more fragrant than flowers as late President Xuphanuvong once said.

Each exchange visit by Party, State, Government and National Assembly leaders is a red brick to build a Vietnam-Laos house of solidarity and friendship. During these visits many cooperative and friendship agreements were signed and many cooperative projects were approved, which have greatly contributed to the process of national construction in each country.

The high consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders on issues of concern at bilateral talks and international meetings has also contributed to heightening their positions in the international arena and making the nations more prosperous and powerful.

The fine relationship between the two countries has been infected in a joint project to compile works on the “History of Laos-Vietnam Special Relations” by the Politburos and Secretariats of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Laos People’s Revolutionary Party. They include books on the history of Laos-Vietnam and Vietnam-Laos relations, Party and State documents, chronicles of events, memoirs, pictorials and documentaries called “The epic of Vietnam-Laos relations. This is another manifestation of special relations between Vietnam and Laos.

Visits by Mr Trong and other Vietnamese leaders to Laos over the years have helped strengthen and lifted the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries to a new height.