Lê Hoài Trung (right), special envoy of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, congratulates Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the 12th Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos. — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung, who is Special Envoy of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm, on Thursday led a Vietnamese delegation to Laos to congratulate the country on the successful conclusion of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and had a meeting with General Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith.

Trung conveyed warm congratulations from the CPV Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat to the Lao Party, State, and people on the successful organisation of the 12th National Congress of the LPRP, describing it as a milestone of special political significance for Laos’s revolutionary cause.

The Special Envoy congratulated comrade Thongloun on his re-election as General Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee, reflecting the deep trust of the Lao Party, army, and people in his leadership.

He expressed his confidence that under the LPRP’s sound leadership, together with strong political resolve and the achievements of nearly 40 years of reform, Laos would enter a new development era with renewed confidence and aspiration, successfully fulfilling the goals set by the 12th Congress and building a peaceful, independent, democratic, unified, and prosperous nation.

Trung highlighted that the 12th National Congress of the LPRP was held at a particularly important time as Laos prepares for a new stage of development amidst intertwined opportunities and challenges.

The congress adopted a crucial political platform and set strategic orientations, objectives, and tasks for Laos’s long-term development. The newly elected Central Committee and leadership were described as a united collective with extensive experience and strategic vision, enjoying strong confidence from Lao officials, Party members, and the people.

He stressed that the success of the congress was also a significant victory for relations between the two Parties and the two countries. The great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Việt Nam and Laos, forged through history under the leadership of the CPV and the LPRP, have become an invaluable shared asset and a strategic pillar for stability, development, and international integration in both nations, he stated.

The Party, State and people of Việt Nam, Trung affirmed, will do their utmost, together with their Lao counterparts, to preserve, nurture, continuously consolidate, develop, and further deepen the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos.

Việt Nam will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Laos, wholeheartedly supporting and sharing experience in Party building, political cooperation, socio-economic development, connectivity, human resources training, defence-security, and international integration, he underscored.

On this occasion, Trung conveyed Party General Secretary Lam’s invitation to comrade Thongloun, his spouse, and a high-ranking Lao delegation to pay a state visit to Việt Nam at the earliest convenient time.

For his part, the Lao leader briefed the Vietnamese delegation on the outcomes of the 12th National Congress of the LPRP and expressed sincere appreciation for Vietnam’s decision to send a Special Envoy, vividly reflecting the close, trusted, and fraternal Laos–Việt Nam relationship. He thanked Việt Nam for its invaluable, timely, and effective support throughout Laos’s revolutionary journey and during preparations for the congress.

Congratulating Việt Nam on the country’s recent achievements, the Lao leader expressed his confidence that under the CPV’s leadership, Việt Nam will successfully organise the 14th National Party Congress and continue to attain major breakthroughs in renewal, fulfilling its development goals towards 2030 and 2045, and entering a new era of development.

He affirmed that the Lao Party, State and people attach the highest priority to strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Laos and Việt Nam, calling for closer coordination to effectively implement recent high-level agreements for the tangible benefit of both nations' people and for peace, stability, and sustainable development regionally and globally.

Earlier the same day, Trung met to congratulate Thongsavan Phomvihane, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bounleua Phandanouvong, Head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, on their election to the 12th LPRP Central Committee. — VNA/VNS