National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn holds talks with President of the Lao NA and Chair of AIPA-45 Saysomphone Phomvihane on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI – National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn expressed his desire for the legislative bodies of Việt Nam and Laos to spread the strength of their cooperation in politics, defence and security to the economic sector and other areas.

He also emphasised the need for cooperation mechanisms to address difficulties and create momentum to further promote the development of bilateral relations.

The chairman made the statement during talks with the President of the Lao National Assembly and Chair of AIPA-45 Saysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane on Thursday. The top Vietnamese legislator is in Vientiane for an official visit to Laos and to attend the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45) from October 17 to 19.

NA Chairman Mẫn congratulated Laos on its remarkable and comprehensive achievements over nearly 40 years of renewal and expressed his belief that Laos will successfully organise its 12th National Congress in early 2026 and achieve its national development goals.

He also provided updates on Việt Nam's socio-economic situation in the first nine months of 2024, noting that the Vietnamese National Assembly is preparing for its eighth session, which will begin on October 21.

Both the leaders expressed their satisfaction with the positive outcomes of cooperation between the two Parties and countries.

As for trade and investment cooperation, the two leaders agreed that the current relationship in these fields remains modest.

The President of the Lao NA highlighted that Việt Nam is among the top investors in Laos, with about 241 projects and a total investment capital of approximately US$5.47 billion. He called on the Vietnamese NA to support efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly by increasing bilateral trade.

Expressing admiration for Việt Nam’s achievements in agricultural development, especially in producing high-value economic goods, the Lao NA leader also expressed a desire for Việt Nam to share its expertise in this area.

The two sides noted that cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies has been progressing positively. They have been actively implementing the Cooperation Agreement signed in May 2022, with regular exchanges of high-level delegations and committees from both sides.

The two national assemblies have also been consulting and supporting each other at international and regional parliamentary forums, as well as organising seminars and thematic discussions during leadership visits. Notably, they have conducted joint oversight of important, strategic economic cooperation projects, exercising the supreme supervisory role of each legislature.

Both leaders praised the visits by Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Khắc Định to Laos in July 2024 and by Lao NA Vice Chairman Sommad Pholsena to Việt Nam in September 2024. During these visits, both sides shared experiences and practical lessons in amending their constitutions and laws to meet new development requirements, as well as in formulating and implementing socio-economic development policies.

NA Chairman Mẫn affirmed that Việt Nam is ready to share its experience with Laos in building and amending its constitution and legal framework.

The two leaders also agreed to collaborate on speeding up the compilation process for a book, titled 50 Years of Relations between the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam and the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic – Comprehensive Cooperation for Development. This book aims to summarise the development, achievements and lessons learned to enhance cooperation between the legislative bodies today.

To further promote cooperation between the two legislative bodies, both leaders agreed to continue exchanging and sharing experiences in areas of mutual interest, especially in improving institutional frameworks, legal systems, supreme supervision and making important national decisions. They also called for more flexible forms of cooperation between committees and agencies of the NAs.

Additionally, both sides will jointly monitor the implementation of bilateral agreements, strengthen supervision and promote investment cooperation projects. They will also propose solutions to resolve obstacles, making it easier for Vietnamese businesses to invest and operate in Laos.

They emphasised the need to complete institutional and policy frameworks to facilitate the effective implementation of high-level agreements by the Politburos and governments of both countries.

Both leaders also agreed to strengthen solidarity, coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, particularly in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Vietnamese and Lao National Assemblies. They also witnessed the signing of an MoU establishing a cooperative friendship between Hội An City in Việt Nam's Quảng Nam Province and Luang Prabang City in Luang Prabang Province, Laos. – VNS