Lao PM visits Vietnam, co-chairs Inter-governmental Committee’s 43rd session

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (L) meets with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his official visit to Vietnam in October 2019.

The visit took place in the context of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have grown steadily. In 2020, despite the suspension of many foreign activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides still maintain high-level visits, meetings and cooperation mechanisms. In addition, two countries have coordinated closely in epidemic prevention and control, thus creating the best possible conditions for goods exchange at main border gates.

In 2020, Laos has continued to work closely with Vietnam at regional and international forums, supports the latter in its roles as ASEAN Chair 2020 during the the ASEAN Chairmanship Year and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

This is the fifth time that the two government leaders have co-chaired a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee. At the 43rd session of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee, the two sides will focus on reviewing and evaluating the outstanding achievements in Vietnam - Laos relations in 2020 and outline some key orientations for 2021.

Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries' senior leaders remain flexible in conducting delegation exchange visits, and meetings at all levels, effectively promoting cooperation in key areas, and coordinating well in organizing major events related to each country's relations.

Both sides also exchanged a range of measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in foreign relations, security - defense and economics-trade-investment, while offering mutual support in a bid to promote post-pandemic economic recovery, enhancing the connectivity between the two economies, and effectively deploying key projects.

The holding of the 43rd session of the committee is to continue affirming the two nations’ diplomatic priority of unceasingly developing the bilateral relationship of great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation; strengthening the political trust between the two countries; and creating a channel for directing the acceleration of the implementation of high-level agreements, and of the cooperative relations between Vietnam and Laos moving forward.