Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met the Prime Minister of Laos Thoongloun Sisoulith in the afternoon of 25 October at the Party Headquarters.

Prime Thoongloun Sisoulith informed General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of the situation of Laos, results of his working with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and meetings with senior leaders of Vietnam. He affirmed the Lao Government’s close coordination with the Government of Vietnam in directing related ministries, branches and localities to effectively implement of agreements between the leaders of the two parties and countries and contents of the 38th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong praised the results of cooperation between the two governments in recent years and urged Prime Minister Thoongloun Sisoulith to continue coordinating with Vietnam to direct ministries, branches, localities and enterprises to effectively implement signed agreements on economic, educational, cultural, science, technology, especially the Agreement on Cooperation between the two Governments for the period 2016-2020 and the 2016 Cooperation Plan, including exchange of information and experience in Party building, socio-economic management, strengthening cooperation on defense, security and foreign relations, maximizing the existing cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, focusing on solving difficult problems and obstacles, creating positive changes in quality and efficiency in areas of cooperation.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Thoongloun Sisoulith expressed pleasure at in-depth development of the special relationship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos increasingly which has contributed significantly to the cause of building and national defense of each country. The two sides affirmed to preserve, nurture, develop and hand down to future generations the special relationships of solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

Earlier, at the Government Office, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with Lao Prime Minister Thoonglun Sisulith.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the Vietnamese Government will urge Vietnamese businesses to implement the project in Laos as scheduled. The Prime Minister also requested the Lao Government to take measures to remove difficulties for Vietnamese investors in Laos. The Prime Minister stated that Vietnam-Lao bilateral trade turnover is still modest, so, the Ministries of Industry and Trades of the two countries should discuss, identify causes and find solutions to increase trade turnover. The Prime Minister asked the two Governments to assign Vice Foreign Ministers of the two countries to be in charge of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in 2017.

For his part, Prime Minister of Laos Thoonglun Sisulith said Vietnam's investment keeps growing; many projects have been implemented as planned, making an important contribution to socio-economic development of Laos. Vietnam is the third largest investor in Laos, after China and Thailand. Before coming to Vietnam, Prime Minister Thoonglun Sisulith and more than half of members of the Government of Laos had a special dialogue with Vietnamese investors in Laos. During the recent visit to Laos of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, the two sides reached important agreements on electricity production, assigned the two Ministries of Industry and Trades to take measures to increase bilateral trade turnover to at least 20%.

Prime Minister Thoonglun Sisulith informed that the Lao Government agreed with the proposal of Vietnam on the Vientiane-Hanoi highway route, and asked the Vietnamese Government to create conditions for Laos to effectively use Vung Ang port.

* At the Presidential Palace, President Tran Dai Quang met with Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

President Tran Dai Quang expressed his satisfaction at the development of Vietnam-Laos relations in all fields. The two countries have regularly exchanged high-level contacts and, most recently, the official visit to Laos of the Vietnamese National Assembly contributed to tighten the Vietnam-Laos friendly and traditional relationship and special solidarity. To further strengthen the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, President Tran Dai Quang suggested the two governments continue to facilitate investment cooperation between the two sides, including investment projects of Vietnamese businesses in Laos, accelerate implementation of key projects relating to energy and transport between the two countries, including the Hanoi-Vientiane highway project, construction of customs bonded warehouses and oil and gas pipeline from Hon La (Quang Binh) to Kham Muon province of Laos, cooperation in the fields of security, defense, culture, education, human resources training, health care, tourism and people exchange on the basis of agreements and annual or 5-year cooperation plans between relevant ministries and branches of the two countries.

For his part, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith expressed elation at the coming visit to Laos by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to celebrate important activities of the two countries in 2017, confirming that best preparations will be made for the commemoration. On this occasion, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith conveyed to President Tran Dai Quang greetings from General Secretary and State President Bounnhang Vorachith. The Lao leader also expressed condolences at the loss in life and property of the people in the Central provinces caused by recent storms and floods.

*At Parliament House, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

The Chairwoman informed the guest of the successful official friendship visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Laos by the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam’s National Assembly in September, expressing her hope that in the future, the Lao Prime Minister continues to promote cooperation in all fields between the two countries, especially economic cooperation, investment and trade.

Highly appreciating the talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith which discussed several practical policies, National Assembly Chaiworman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly always supports and will actively coordinate closely with the Lao National Assembly to promote strong, effective cooperation of the two governments.

The Lao Prime Minister said, like Vietnam, the Laos National Assembly has just started the second session on this field, and Laos hopes that the Vietnamese National Assembly will closely coordinate with the Lao National Assembly in legislative work.