At the meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Cambodian PM Hun Manet, and Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone. VNA/VNS Photo

At the meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (centre), Cambodian PM Hun Manet (left), and Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone in HCM City on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held a working session with Cambodian PM Hun Manet and Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone in Hồ Chí Minh City on February 22 over the agreements outlined in the conclusions of the high-level meeting between the three countries’ Party leaders earlier the same day.

PM Chính highlighted the progress made in realising the conclusions from high-level meetings between Việt Nam and Laos, between Việt Nam and Cambodia, as well as within the trilateral Việt Nam-Laos-Cambodia cooperation framework, and recent high-level visits among leaders, saying that key tasks assigned have so far been basically fulfilled.

Underscoring the strategic importance of the close-knit friendship, solidarity, and mutual trust among the three nations, they agreed to further increase youth exchanges and leadership training courses while intensifying public awareness campaigns, especially among younger generations, to highlight the historical significance and enduring value of trilateral cooperation.

The three PMs reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening coordination in ensuring national security, national construction and development; maintaining regular high-level meetings and exchanges across all channels, enhancing collaboration among localities, particularly border provinces, and fostering greater people-to-people exchanges. Additionally, they underlined the effective implementation of existing cooperation mechanisms and agreements while promoting information sharing, policy alignment, and inter-agency collaboration.

They agreed to strengthen security and defence cooperation, emphasising closer coordination in border security and prevention of transnational crimes including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering. They reaffirmed their commitment to preventing any individual or force from using one country's territory to compromise the security of another, as well as working together to maintain peaceful, stable, and cooperative borders.

They also reached consensus on penning policies and measures to further facilitate and encourage trade and investment, with particular emphasis on border trade and maximising the potential of border gates between the three countries. They unanimously agreed to enhance transportation infrastructure connectivity and promote trilateral economic integration.

Furthermore, the leaders welcomed and approved the establishment of a trilateral cooperation mechanism between their ministers of culture and tourism. The move aims to coordinate tourism planning among the three nations and implementing the "one journey, three destinations" tourism model. The leaders also discussed various regional issues of mutual interest, agreeing to maintain ASEAN's solidarity and centrality in regional matters as well as to promote cooperation in the Mekong sub-region. — VNS