Hanoi (VNA) –  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Laocounterpart Thongloun Sisoulith co-chaired the 43rd meeting of the Vietnam-LaoInter-Governmental Committee on bilateral cooperation in Hanoi on December 6.

PM Phuc underlined that despite complicated and unpredictabledevelopments in the region and the world, especially the impact of the COVID-19pandemic, the two countries have maintained high-level meetings and visits aswell as important bilateral cooperation mechanisms and mutual support inpandemic prevention and control, which demonstrated the joint efforts and determinationof both sides in developing their special bilateral ties.

He congratulated the Lao Government on important achievementsin socio-economic development over the years, especially in effectivelycontrolling COVID-19 and maintaining relatively high growth as well assuccessfully hosting sub-regional cooperation events, contributing to enhancethe country’s position in the region.

The Vietnamese PM thanked the Lao side for coordinatingclosely with Vietnam in preventing COVID-19, assisting flood-hit people in thecentral region of Vietnam, and supporting the country in performing the rolesof ASEAN Chair in 2020 and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council inthe 2020-2021 tenure.

For his part, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith lauded Vietnam’s successin implementing the twin targets of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic andboosting socio-economic development at the same time, thus emerging as a brightspot in the global economy.

He congratulated Vietnam on successfully performing the roleof ASEAN Chair in 2020 with many important initiatives to foster regionalsolidarity and cooperation. He highlighted the approval of the ASEANComprehensive Recovery Framework and the signing of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP), which he said affirmed the important role andposition of Vietnam in the world arena.

The Lao PM thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam forhelping Laos overcome the consequences of natural disasters and the pandemic byproviding Laos with 1,000 tonnes of rice to the flood-hit Savannakhet province.

The two sides showed their delight at thefruitful cooperation between the two countries, with the fulfillment of many targetsset in the Vietnam-Laos cooperation plan for 2020 and the Vietnam-Laos bilateralcooperation agreement for the 2016-2020 period.

They noted that bilateral political-diplomatic relations havebeen strengthened, playing the central and directing role in the overallpartnership of the two sides, while the defence-security cooperation hascontinued to be the key pillar contributing to maintaining the politicalstability, order and social security in each country.

In terms of economic collaboration, Vietnam has maintainedthe position of the third largest investor in Laos with accumulated registeredinvestment capital of over 4.2 billion USD, up 35 percent over the amountrecorded in 2010. In 2020, Vietnam invested more than 143 million USD in Laos,a year-on-year rise of 130 percent.

Two-way trade in the 2017-2019 period grew by over 10percent each year. Meanwhile, education-training collaboration has continued tobe promoted with 16,644 Lao students studying in Vietnam.

At the same time, power trading between the two sides in 2020has doubled compared to the plan signed in 2016.

Cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange has beenenhanced, with the two sides working together to organise major events and celebrationsof each other’s anniversaries, they noted, adding that many bilateral cooperationprojects have seen key progress in 2020, including the Vung Ang port,Noong-khang airport, and the National Assembly building of Laos – a gift fromthe Party, State and people of Vietnam to Laos, which is slated to complete in2021.  

The two sides agreed on the cooperation orientations for 2021and the next five and 10 years, with focus on the effective implementation ofagreements between the two sides, including the Vietnam-Laos cooperation planfor 2021 and the cooperation deals signed on this occasion.

They sketched out many drastic and practical measures tocontinue deepening the bilateral political and diplomatic ties, strengtheningbilateral defence-security cooperation and prioritizing education-trainingcollaboration.

Both sides will work to promote economic cooperation andimprove the connectivity between the two economies, especially linkages intransport, infrastructure and telecommunications. They will encourage ministries,sectors localities, businesses and people of both sides to expand cooperationand mutual support.

At the same time, the two countries will work together to mobiliseresources from international partners for joint projects and programmes.

The two sides vowed to continue coordinating closely with andsupport each other at regional and international forums, especially within theASEAN, the Mekong Sub-region cooperation mechanisms and the United Nations.

The two countries will strengthen mutual consultations and assistanceto enhance their position and national self-reliance, especially in issuesrelated to security and strategy in the region, including the East Sea andMekong issues. They pledged to work with other ASEAN countries to effectivelycope with the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting intra-bloc solidarity and thecentral role of the ASEAN as well as the building of ASEAN Community.

Concluding the meeting, the two PMs pledged to directministries, sectors, localities and relevant agencies of the two sides to worktogether to effectively implement bilateral agreements and commitments,including the creation of optimal conditions for businesses of both sides tocooperate in investment and production.

Both sides showed their belief that the success of the meetingwill create a new momentum for bilateral cooperation, making it deeper and morepractical with higher trust, contributing to reinforcing the great friendship,special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos inthe next decades./.