Vientiane (VNA) – Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi♏ Kim Ngan held talks with her Lao counterpart Pany Yathtou in Vientiane oཧn September 26, during which she affirmed that Vietnam always gives top priority to fostering traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos.

The Vietnam-Laos ties is a vital factor for the revolutionary careers of both countries and an invaluable treasure that the two Parties and peoples have preserved, developed and handed down to the young generations, said Ngan who is on her first visit abroad in capacity of Chairwoman of the National Assembly. During the visit, the Vietnamese side hopes to share the success of the Party Congress as well as the general election in each country, she said. At the talks, the two top legislators reviewed the outcomes of their supervision over the implementation of bilateral cooperation deals over the past years, while seeking directions and measures to continue beefing up the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two legislative bodies. They noted that the rapidly changing regional and world situation has generated both opportunities and challenges to national construction and development of Vietnam and Laos. They pointed to the need for both sides to strengthen their coordination in theory and practical researches to find solutions for socio-economic issues, thus protecting cultural values and identities of each nation. At the same time, the two sides expressed delighted at the growing ties in economic, trade, investment and ODA from the central to local levels. Vietnam is currently the third largest investors in Laos with total investment of more than 5 billion USD. Bilateral partnership in education, transport, finance, banking, health care, culture and tourism as well as people-to-people contacts between the two people have also been expanded, they noted, adding that the two countries have successfully built a shared borderline of friendship and peace. The two chief legislators consented to continue enhancing cooperation in personnel training and sharing experience, especially in institutional and legal building and the supervision of law enforcement. The two sides will firstly partner with each other in inaugurating the Vietnam-Laos revolutionary relic site in Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Son La to mark the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 40 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. At the same time, they will increase their supervision over and create optimal conditions for the implementation of joint investment projects. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan proposed the Lao legislative body and Government deepening the bilateral comprehensive cooperation. Host and guest agreed to continue their close coordination at international parliamentary forums. The Lao law-making body showed its support for the East Sea-related contents of the Joint Statement issued at the 49th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. The Lao side committed to realising the consensus on the sustainable and effective use and management of the Mekong River’s water resources reached by the two countries’ leaders. The leaders voiced their support for the two Governments’ early negotiations of the agreement on extradition cooperation and another agreement on the transfer of prisoners. The same day, Chairwoman Ngan met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community and Vietnamese businesses in Laos.-VNA