Hanoi (VNA) 💎– Party General Secretary and President ofLaos Thongloun Sisoulith and his spouse left Hanoi on June 29, wrapping up theofficial friendly visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General SecretaryNguyen Phu Trong, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and their spouses.

During the visit, Sisoulith held talks with Party General Secretary Trong, met former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and former President Tran Duc Luong, held working sessionswith State President Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National AssemblyChairman Vuong Dinh Hue. He received delegations from the CentralCommittee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam – Laos Friendship Associationand the Liaison Committee for former Vietnamese Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts in Laos. On the occasion, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)partnered with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relationsand the HCMA to hold a photo exhibition featuring the great friendship, specialsolidarity and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Laos. On displaywere nearly 30 photos chosen from the VNA’s national photo archive. The two sides issued a jointstatement which affirms the great friendship, special solidarity andcomprehensive partnership as an invaluable common asset of the two nations anda factor ensuring their national development. The two Parties, States andpeoples will take responsibility for maintaining and fostering bilateral tiesin various areas, upholding the spirit of independence, self-reliance, fair andmutually beneficial cooperation, and creating favourable conditions forprosperity of each country, and for sake of peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment in Southeast Asia and the world. They agreed to enhance the timely sharing ofinformation and consultations, work closely and effectively together atregional and global forums, especially within the framework of ASEANcooperation and ASEAN-led mechanisms, the United Nations, the Greater MekongSub-region, the World Trade Organisation and the Asia-Europe Meeting. Both sides underscored the importance ofmaintaining peace, stability and ensuring security, maritime and aviation safetyand freedom in the East Sea, as well as settling disputes in the East Sea bypeaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The two Party leaders witnessed the signing of bilateralcooperation agreements, including the Vietnam – Laos cooperation strategyagreement for the 2021-2030 period, the Vietnam – Laos cooperation agreementfor the 2021-2025 period and other important deals. The Lao leader invited Party General Secretary Trong,President Phuc and Vietnamese Party and State leaders tovisit Laos. The Vietnamese leaders expressed their sincere thanks and acceptedthe invitation with pleasure. Upon returning to Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith sent a letter to Party General Secretary Trong and PresidentPhuc, thanking them and other Party and State leaders of Vietnam along with theVietnamese people for their warm and respectful reception during the Lao leader’svisit to Vietnam. Sisoutlith said he appreciated the results of his talks with theVietnamese Party General Secretary, State President and senior leaders of theParty and State of Vietnam.  He affirmed his belief that the success of hisofficial visit to Vietnam, as well as the exchanges between senior leaders ofthe two parties and two countries, will contribute to the traditionalfriendship as well as the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperationbetween the two parties, countries and peoples./.