Secretary of Hà Nội Party Committee Đinh Tiến Dũng (left) meets General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — Hà Nội always gives high priority to developing its friendship and cooperation with Lao localities, particularly Vientiane.

That was the message from Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Đinh Tiến Dũng, speaking during his meetings with Lao leaders on Monday.

Leading a delegation from the Vietnamese capital city, Dũng paid courtesy calls to General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavan, and President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane.

During the meetings, the Vietnamese official congratulated Laos’ achievements after 35 years of reform and informed his hosts about the outcomes of previous talks with his Vientiane counterpart Anouphap Tounalom.

Both sides signed the minutes of the bilateral cooperation agreement for 2022-2025, which he said would create a framework for joint works between the two capitals.

The contents of the minutes cover the enhancement of experience sharing between the Hà Nội and Vientiane People's Councils regarding the development of legal documents, and supervision and decision-making on important issues, among others.

Thongloun Sisoulith said that the results of collaboration in the past and documents signed between the two capitals continued to deepen the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries' Parties, States and people.

Phankham Viphavan expressed his wish that Hà Nội share management experience and support Vientiane and other Lao localities in the future.

Xaysomphone Phomvihane, meanwhile, appreciated the Vietnamese capital for its practical contributions and support to the localities of Laos.

The Hà Nội delegation also visited and laid a wreath at the monument of Lao heroes and martyrs in Vientiane.

Vientiane cooperation

The Hà Nội leader and his Vientiane counterpart Anouphap Tounalom held talks on the same day, during which the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will serve as the foundation for bilateral cooperative activities in 2022-2025.

The two cities will maintain and promote the exchange of high-level delegations, continue to share experiences in the development of legal documents, supervise the building of e-government, urban planning and management and create favourable conditions for exchanges between their departments, and mass organisations.

They will encourage and support their agencies and units in organising joint activities and people-to-people exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and promote multi-field cooperation.

The leaders of Hà Nội and Vientiane affirmed that although each had a wide network of international relations with many major cities in the world, Hà Nội and Vientiane always gave high priority to developing friendly and cooperative relations with each other, given the close bonds and warm feelings of the Party Committees, governments and people of the two capitals of the two brotherly countries.

They said that the cooperation relationship between the two capitals and between Hà Nội and other localities in Laos, had been continuously tightened and comprehensively developed on all channels, with many effective projects in most fields such as economy, health, education, agriculture, military and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders highlighted that the results of cooperation in the past had not only contributed to the strong development of the two capitals but also made an important contribution to preserving and developing the special traditional friendship relationship between the two parties, the two States and the peoples of Việt Nam and Laos.

At the talks, Hà Nội announced it would assist Vientiane with US$3 million to build the headquarters of the Department of Justice and the Procuracy Agency of Vientiane. — VNS