Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn (left) had talks with Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on December 17. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tú

VIENTIANE — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn on Tuesday had meetings with Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on the occasion of his visit to Laos to co-chair the 11th Việt Nam-Laos political consultation at the foreign ministerial level.

At the meeting with Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Sơn reported to the Lao leader on the outcomes of the political consultation with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane on December 16.

He noted with pleasure the positive developments of bilateral cooperation across various fields, reflected in the meeting of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm with Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, along with various high-level meetings.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has seen significant progress towards the target of US$2 billion in trade value in 2024.

The two countries have also actively addressed obstacles for several key projects.

The Lao leader hailed the results of bilateral cooperation and urged both countries to actively exchange information and experiences in preparing for their respective national Party Congresses, as well as in Party building, political system development, socio-economic management and international integration.

He said he was delighted at the progress in solving problems in several key projects, contributing positively to Laos' socio-economic development and the bilateral relationship. The leader also commended the two Foreign Ministries for maintaining a regular cooperation mechanism to facilitate extensive discussions on important and strategic issues in bilateral relations, as well as regional and international cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn (left) and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tú

In his meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Deputy PM Sơn congratulated Laos on successfully fulfilling its ASEAN Chair in 2024 and affirmed that the two foreign ministries would coordinate with relevant departments to effectively implement bilateral cooperation agreements, programmes and projects, while actively preparing for important diplomatic activities, including the 47th meeting of Việt Nam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

The Lao PM emphasised that the Party, State, Government and people of Laos prioritise strengthening the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Việt Nam.

He highlighted the high political trust reflected in the frequent bilateral contacts between the prime ministers of the two countries in 2024 and appreciated the visit of Deputy PM Sơn and the political consultation mechanism between the foreign ministries of Việt Nam and Laos, which he said positively contributed to boosting the Laos-Việt Nam relations and cooperation on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

He said he would direct Lao ministries and sectors to review and promote the implementation of high-level agreements of the two countries and took the opportunity to call on Vietnamese corporations and businesses to invest more in Laos to help develop its economy. — VNS