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| National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man (R) and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone. (Photo: VNA) |
Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man held talks with his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone in Hanoi on November 3, following an official welcome ceremony for the Lao leader and his spouse.
The top Vietnamese legislator warmly welcomed his Lao guest on an official visit to Vietnam and congratulated him on being elected by the Lao Party, State and people as President of the 10th Lao National Assembly.
He emphasised that this first official foreign visit by President Sonexay in his new capacity vividly reflects the special bonds and trust between the two Parties, States and National Assemblies. It is expected to help strengthen political trust, enhance cooperation between the two legislative bodies and advance the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos.
Discussing the situation in each country, President Man congratulated the Lao Party, State and people on their significant and comprehensive achievements over the past more than 50 years, particularly after four decades of implementing the renewal process. He also welcomed the positive results in implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan, maintaining political stability, ensuring national defence and security, promoting economic growth, improving people's living standards and enhancing the country's international standing.
“Vietnam consistently attaches the utmost importance and gives top priority to preserving and nurturing its special relationship with Laos,” he said, expressing profound gratitude for the wholehearted and valuable support extended by the Lao Party, State, National Assembly and people to Vietnam during its past struggle for national liberation and its current cause of national construction and defence.
President Sonexay thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and National Assembly leaders for their warm and thoughtful reception. He expressed his pleasure at making his first official visit to Vietnam in his new capacity and affirmed that the Lao Party, State and people always remember and appreciate Vietnam's sincere and invaluable support during Laos' struggle for national liberation, as well as its current efforts to build, defend and develop the country.
The Lao leader praised Vietnam's major development achievements and expressed confidence that the country would continue to achieve rapid and sustainable growth and further enhance its international standing.
Both leaders noted with satisfaction the positive progress in Vietnam-Laos relations in recent time and agreed to maintain close coordination to effectively implement high-level agreements, bilateral cooperation documents and the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Strategy for 2021-2030.
They underscored the importance of increasing exchanges of delegations and contacts at all levels, making effective use of existing cooperation mechanisms, and stepping up communication and education about the tradition of special solidarity between the two countries, particularly among younger generations.
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| An overview of the talks (Photo: VNA) |
The NA Presidents held extensive discussions on the work undertaken by each legislature since the beginning of its current term and its key priorities for 2027. They highly valued the important results achieved in legislative activities, particularly in translating the policies, orientations and new requirements set out in Party Central Committee documents into legislation, meeting emerging practical demands in national development.
Both sides also commended the results of bilateral parliamentary cooperation, particularly regular delegation exchanges, the sharing of experience in legislation, supervision and making decisions on major national issues, as well as coordination at regional and international parliamentary forums.
They emphasised that parliamentary cooperation is an important pillar of overall Vietnam-Laos relations, helping strengthen the legal foundation, oversee the implementation of high-level agreements, translate the policies and agreements of the high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries into concrete action, and support each other's development.
The two leaders agreed to keep pushing cooperation between the two NAs, with more exchanges on legal building and refinement, state apparatus organisation, local administration operations and oversight of the implementation of high-level agreements and key bilateral schemes and projects. They also vowed to step up digital transformation, e-parliament development and application of new technologies in parliamentary work.
The two legislatures will review the cooperation agreement signed in May 2022 and update its provisions to reflect development requirements in the new period, with a view to signing a revised one in 2027.
The top legislators stressed tighter coordinated supervision and joint work with the two Governments to deliver on the signed agreements. They called for strong, breakthrough progress in economic, trade and investment ties that match the two countries’ potential and special political ties; easier expansion of investment and trade for companies; timely removal of obstacles in cooperation projects, especially in strategic fields that connect the two economies; stronger education-training, workforce, science-technology, health, culture and people-to-people collaboration; and continued training of Lao personnel and students in Vietnam to reinforce the social base of bilateral ties.
They promised to keep close coordination at global and regional inter-parliamentary forums, including the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and other relevant mechanisms. The two sides will also boost information exchange and consultations on issues of mutual concern, contributing actively to global and regional peace, stability, cooperation and development.
They will work together to propel meetings and exchanges among the Party and NA leaders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, thus enhancing regional solidarity, cooperation and development.
Host and guest agreed to coordinate in making preparations for the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation next year.
They believed that the visit will create momentum for deeper, more substantive and effective cooperation between the two NAs and support the effective delivery of agreements between the two Parties and States.
Laos will continue to preserve and nurture the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion with Vietnam, President Sonexay said. He invited President Man to make an official visit to Laos at a suitable time.
After the talks, the Lao leader and his entourage attended a session of the 16th Vietnamese NA’s second sitting./.
