Hanoi (VNA)🐓 – Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith co-chaired the 8th ministerial-levelpolitical consultation in Hanoi on December 28.

Bothsides expressed their delight at the development of the great friendship, specialsolidarity and comprehensive cooperation in various areas between the twonations. Political trust between the two Parties and countries has been furtherstrengthened via meetings and exchange of all-level delegations, especially the Laovisit by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in August 2021 and the Vietnam visit byPresident of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane in December 2021. In the first 11 months of this year, two-way trade surpassed 1.2billion USD, up 33.6 percent annually. The two sides kept improving theefficiency of cooperation in education, training and human resource developmentand raised young generations’ awareness of the bilateral special solidarity andcomprehensive cooperation. The two ministers agreed to work closely with ministriesand agencies to effectively realise signed cooperation agreements, results ofhigh-level visits and hold celebrations for the Year of Vietnam – Laos, Laos –Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity 2022. They spoke highly of cooperation between the two foreign ministriesin line with their 2021-2025 cooperation agreement as well as annualcooperation mechanisms and other exchanges between their subordinate units.The ministers emphasised the compliance with international law andthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s central role in regional architectures. They promised to work closelytogether at regional and international forums, including maintaining ASEAN’s commonstance on the East Sea issue, actively and proactively sharing information and stancesvia all channels, helping to improve each country’s international position.

Xaysomphoneaffirmed that Laos will back Vietnam’s bid to run for a seat at the UN Human RightsCouncil for the 2023-2025 tenure and continue working closely with Mekongsub-regional cooperation mechanisms such as the Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam DevelopmentTriangle Area (CLV), the Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar – Vietnam Cooperation (CLMV)and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). On December 29, the two ministerswill co-chair a conference reviewing the “one-stop-shop” inspection model at Lao Bao – Densavan internationalborder gate. The Lao minister will also co-chair the 31st meeting of the Vietnam – Laos borderdelegations together with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman ofthe National Boundary Commission Nguyen Minh Vu./.