Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn (left) meets Lao top leader Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on Friday.— VNA/VNS Photos Thống Nhất

VIENTIANE — Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn on Friday met with General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane, within the framework of his official visit to the neighbouring country and his attendance at the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Welcoming Mẫn and the high-level NA delegation, Sisoulith said that the visit carries important significance and will contribute to further strengthening the closely-knit relationship between the two countries.

It serves as a great encouragement and motivation for Laos during its tenure as ASEAN Chair and AIPA Chair in 2024.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for standing by the side of Laos in its past struggle for national liberation and assisting its present nation-building and development.

The Lao top leader spoke highly of the two sides' active coordination in implementing the outcomes of the recent meeting between members of their Politburos, in which Việt Nam established a task force to carry out the cooperation agreements, and the Lao side organised a conference to assign specific tasks to its ministries and sectors.

Việt Nam's top legislator Trần Thanh Mẫn and Lao top leader Thongloun Sisoulith during talks on Friday.

Expressing his delight at the significant and historic achievements that Laos has made after nearly 40 years of renewal and more than three years of implementing the 11th National Party Congress’s Resolution, Mẫn said he believes that under the sound leadership of the LPRP, the government’s administration, and the supervision of the legislature, Laos will be well-prepared for the upcoming 12th Party Congress and build a socio-economic development plan 2026-30, continuing to build a prosperous Laos with an increasingly elevated position on the international stage.

The two sides highly valued the fine and solid development of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Laos, with important contributions by the two NAs.

They stressed the need to fully promote their long-standing traditions of close and reliable cooperation, actively implement high-level agreements, and strengthen collaboration between the two legislative bodies, especially in delegation exchanges and the sharing of experiences in constitutional amendments and supreme supervision, and in making decisions on key national issues.

Additionally, they highlighted the importance of collaborating closely with and supporting each other at parliamentary and international forums such as the AIPA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF). — VNA/VNS