HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam left Hà Nội on Tuesday morning for the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits that will take place in Laos from the day to October 11.

The trip is made at the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone - ASEAN Chair 2024.

The PM was accompanied Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Đỗ Đức Duy, and others.

Under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, the meetings will be held in Vientiane with more than 20 activities. Delegates will work on about 80 documents on ASEAN’s priorities, intra-bloc cooperation, as well as collaboration between it and partners.

There will also be the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, dialogues between leaders of ASEAN countries and representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, and young people, along with the second summit of the Asia Zero Emission Community.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the meetings, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyễn Minh Tâm emphasised Việt Nam's tangible and wholehearted contributions to ASEAN over the past time.

For Việt Nam's support to Laos - ASEAN Chair in 2024, the diplomat said the assistance has been carried out in various forms, and on the basis of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, as well as mutual support at multilateral forums. — VNS