NA Standing Vice Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn meets his visiting Lao counterpart Sommad Pholsena in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Party, State and National Assembly (NA) will provide the best conditions for organisations of Việt Nam to boost friendship and cooperation with their Lao counterparts, said NA Permanent Vice Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn on Wednesday.

Mẫn made the statement while meeting his visiting Lao counterpart Sommad Pholsena, who also serves as Chairman of the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity, in Hà Nội.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and its members – the Vietnam Peace Committee and the Vietnam – Laos Friendship Association have closely coordinated with those of Laos to host various meaningful activities, he noted, adding that both sides have also offered active support to each other at multilateral people-to-people forums, contributing to reinforcing the long-standing ties between the two countries.

He urged the Vietnam Peace Committee and the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity to come up with more practical and specific cooperation programmes and to educate younger generations of Việt Nam and Laos on the two countries’ special traditional friendship and their major joint events.

Pholsena updated his host on the outcomes of the meeting between the two committees, saying the two sides share deep awareness of their important roles in diplomacy and people-to-people exchange.

Agreeing with Mẫn’s proposal, he pledged Laos will continue promoting education on and nurturing bilateral ties. Laos will also step up cultural exchange, trade and tourism promotion with Việt Nam and work with its neighbour to address war aftermaths and take mine action.

During the meeting, NA Vice Chairman Mẫn also highlighted the growing partnership between the two countries’ legislatures after the visit of Lao NA Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane to Việt Nam in December 2021 and that of top Vietnamese legislator Vương Đình Huệ to Laos in May 2022, noting that progress of investment projects has been accelerated.

Obstacles to the two countries’ economic cooperation have been actively removed thanks to concerted efforts of the two NAs and Governments, he said.

Later the same day, Ambassador Nguyễn Phương Nga, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), met with Lao National Assembly Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity Pholsena.

She said the VUFO will provide all possible conditions for the Vietnam – Laos Friendship Association, the Vietnam Peace Committee and other VUFO members to step up bilateral friendship exchanges and closely coordinate with their Lao peers in people-to-people diplomacy mechanisms in order to better exercise their role as a bridge to promote the two countries’ relations in all areas.

Nga also called for strengthened education for people, particularly younger generations, from both sides of the “one and only” Việt Nam – Laos friendship.

Pholsena said he visited Việt Nam at the time when the two countries are celebrating the Vietnam – Laos, Laos – Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022, the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and the 45th year of the signing of their Treaty for Amity and Cooperation.

He affirmed that the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity will carry out activities to further boost friendship and solidarity between the two countries' people.

The two officials also took the occasion to update each other on the two countries’ socio-economic development. — VNS