National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn hosts Chief Justice of the Lao Supreme People’s Court Viengthong Siphandon in Hà Nội on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Party, State, and people always value and give the top priority to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn told Chief Justice of the Lao Supreme People’s Court Viengthong Siphandon during a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

On the back of the long-standing bond founded by Presidents Hồ Chí Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong, he called on the current generations to continue nurturing this friendship to make it everlasting.

He congratulated Laos on overcoming challenges to basically meet its 2025 socio-economic targets, successfully realise the resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and the ninth five-year socio-economic development plan, and gear up or the 12th National Party Congress slated for early 2026.

The Lao official affirmed that bilateral ties have been growing, marked by frequent exchanges between leaders at bilateral, regional, and international events. She pointed to Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith’s recent visit to Hà Nội for the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.

Highlighting judicial cooperation as a vivid reflection of political trust and mutual support between the two nations, the Lao Chief Justice said her delegation’s visit aims to review court-to-court progress, share updates on judicial reforms, and discuss renewal of the 2008 cooperation agreement between the two supreme courts. She also proposed enhancing collaboration among provincial courts, particularly following Việt Nam’s recent administrative restructuring.

She expressed her wish that Chairman Mẫn will continue to steer and support the strengthening of bilateral judicial cooperation.

The host, in reply, noted that the Party Central Committee’s Politburo and Secretariat, under the direction of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, are advancing Việt Nam- Laos cooperation in economy, national defence-security, science-technology, and education. The two legislatures increased oversight of bilateral investment projects to untangle bottlenecks and accelerate progress.

He cited the scheduled inauguration of Wharf No. 3 at the Laos - Việt Nam international port in Vũng Áng, Hà Tĩnh in April as a milestone that will facilitate Laos’s maritime trade access and deepen economic linkages between the two neighbours.

Chairman Man praised the tangible results of cooperation between the two supreme courts in recent years, especially in personnel exchange and training, experience sharing, judicial assistance, and institutional upgrades. He welcomed the continued rotation of the biennial Việt Nam–Laos–Cambodia conference of border provincial courts, which he said underscores their role in upholding justice and citizens’ rights while strengthening trilateral solidarity.

Applauding both sides’ work to finalise and soon sign a new memorandum of cooperation, he expressed confidence that the document will align with ongoing judicial reforms and the building of socialist rule-of-law states in both countries. The new framework, he said, would serve as a solid foundation to deepen cooperation in personnel training, digital transformation, and interprovincial court connectivity.

He also suggested maintaining regular exchanges and mutual learning to help each side better perform duties and further solidify the Việt Nam - Laos ties. VNA/VNS