PM hopes for stronger trade, investment ties with Laos
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines in Hanoi on December 23.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith at the meeting in Hanoi on December 23. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines in Hanoi on December 23.
The visiting officials are in Vietnam to attend an annual cooperation and development conference between the two countries’ industry and trade, energy, and mining sectors.
Hailing Vietnam-Laos relations, PM Chinh highlighted that despite complicated regional and international situations, bilateral ties have been thriving, especially with trade revenue reaching 1.63 billion USD in 2022.
He asked the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Laos to cooperate more effectively with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade to continue devising and implementing concrete and practical measures to boost trade and investment partnerships on par with political ties and capitalising on the two sides’ advantages.
The host asked both sides to increase experience sharing, coordinate to deal with difficulties in a timely manner, and assist each other’s countries to build independent and self-reliant economies that actively and proactively integrate into the world in the spirit of equitable cooperation.
For his part, Minister Kommasith said trade between Vietnam and Laos has been growing but is yet to match its potential.
He affirmed that his ministry will strengthen cooperation with the Vietnamese side to tighten trade links, particularly cross-border trade, matching the two countries’ strengths and demands, including in the energy and mining sectors./.
Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on December 13 said that the Lao Government will further support Vietnamese investors and expects more investing in Laos to increase the effectiveness of the two country’s economic cooperation.
Vice Chairman of the General Department of Politics at the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) Lt. Gen. Trinh Van Quyet received a delegation of the School of Political Theory of the Lao People's Army (LPA) led by its political commissar Major Gen. Khamhay Saphangneua in Hanoi on December 15.
Work on construction of a bauxite-alumina mining industrial complex, one of Vietnam’s largest projects in Lao, began in Dakcheung district, the southern Lao province of Sekong, on December 19.
The Red Cross Societies of Thua Thien-Hue and Laos' Salavan province on December 21 held a conference in the central Vietnam province to review their past cooperation and set out orientations for joint works in the 2023-2027 period.
Young National Assembly (NA) deputies of Vietnam and Laos held talks in Vientiane on December 23 as part of the two countries’ Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith at the meeting in Hanoi on December 23. (Photo: VNA) 
