Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Chairman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Saysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane on Tuesday, ahead of the former's attendance at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

VIENTIANE — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had a meeting with Chairman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Saysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane on Tuesday as part of his trip to attend the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in the neighbouring country.

Both leaders affirmed that they always attach importance and give top priority to the enhancement of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Laos, considering this as priceless and vital for the revolutionary causes in the two countries.

PM Chính thanked the Lao leaders and people for providing conditions for Vietnamese people to work, live stably, and gradually consolidate their legal status in Laos.

He asked the two countries’ NAs to create favourable legal frameworks for strengthening comprehensive connectivity, particularly in the spheres of regulations, energy, transport, trade-investment, and agriculture.

The guest also proposed Laos continue facilitating Vietnamese enterprises’ operations in the country and accelerate the fruitful implementation of some key projects.

Highly valuing the two parliaments’ efforts to compile and publish a book on the 50-year relationship between the Vietnamese and Lao NAs in celebration of the two countries’ major anniversaries in 2025, the PM called for further stepping up communications and education on the Việt Nam-Laos special ties among young people in both nations.

At the meeting, Chairman Saysomphone thanked Việt Nam for its enormous support and assistance to Laos over the recent past while speaking highly of the outcomes of the talks between the Vietnamese and Lao PMs.

He expressed his hope for stronger relations between the two NAs, including in joint supervisory activities to help effectively carry out the key projects and high-level agreements.

The host also agreed on bolstering locality-to-locality cooperation in agriculture, irrigation, and farm produce processing for export; increasing the exchange of expertise; and maintaining close coordination and mutual support at regional and international parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF).

In the face of complicated developments in the region and the world, the two leaders affirmed that their countries will continue nurturing great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation while developing economic collaboration in an increasingly result-oriented and effective manner, and on par with the bilateral political relationship as well as each country’s development demand in the new period.

On this occasion, the top legislator of Laos said he hopes to welcome Chairman of the Vietnamese NA Trần Thanh Mẫn on an official visit to and attendance at the AIPA meeting in Laos in late October. — VNA/VNS