Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets with Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photos Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm affirmed that Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith’s visit to Việt Nam carried historic significance and marked an important milestone in bilateral relations.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm made the remarks during talks with the Lao leader on Monday in Hà Nội, following a formal welcoming ceremony at the headquarters of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

Lâm said the visit underscored the special importance the Lao Party, State and people, as well as Sisoulith personally, attach to the Việt Nam–Laos relationship.

He warmly welcomed Sisoulith, his spouse and a high-ranking Lao Party and State delegation on a state visit to Việt Nam, congratulating the Lao leader on his re-election as General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

Lâm also expressed appreciation that Việt Nam was the first country visited by Sisoulith in his renewed dual role as Party chief and State President, following the successful congresses of the two ruling parties.

He voiced confidence that the visit would be a success and help elevate bilateral ties to a new level, reaffirming the determination of the leaderships and peoples of both countries to preserve and continue strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic bond between Việt Nam and Laos.

Lâm thanked the Lao Party, State and people, as well as President Thongloun Sisoulith personally, for the warm, fraternal and respectful reception extended to the Vietnamese high-level delegation during its state visit to Laos in December 2025.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Lao leader Thongloun Sisoulith held official talks in Hà Nội with senior officials from both countries.

In an atmosphere of friendship and shared celebration following the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the 12th Congress of the LPRP, the two leaders briefed each other on the situation of their respective parties and countries, as well as the key outcomes of the recent congresses.

They exchanged in-depth views on major policy orientations set out in the congress resolutions, domestic developments and regional and global issues.

Both sides discussed measures to further promote the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connectivity between the two countries in the new period.

They agreed that amid rapidly evolving, complex and unpredictable international and regional developments, closer solidarity, political trust and coordination between the two parties and States were of particular importance.

Sisoulith praised Việt Nam’s major, comprehensive and historically significant achievements over 80 years of national construction and development, especially the notable progress made after 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal) and during the tenure of the 13th Party Congress in particular.

He congratulated Việt Nam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress, describing it as a politically significant event that set the country’s development direction and tasks for the new phase.

He also extended his congratulations to Lâm on being re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam’s 14th Central Committee, saying this reflected the strong confidence placed in him by the Party, State and people of Việt Nam.

Sisoulith expressed firm belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, headed by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, the country would continue to uphold its proud traditions, successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and achieve its two centenary goals.

For his part, Lâm once again congratulated Laos on the resounding success of the LPRP’s 12th Congress, noting that it marked a new stage in the Lao revolution and demonstrated the strength of national unity and the steadfast pursuit of a comprehensive, principled and inherited reform path aimed at protecting, building and developing the country.

He said the congress was a source of pride for the Lao people and shared joy for Việt Nam, contributing to a stronger political foundation for further deepening bilateral ties.

Lâm reaffirmed Việt Nam’s strong and comprehensive support for Laos’ efforts in national construction, reform and defence, expressing confidence that the Lao Party, State and people would successfully implement the Resolution of the 12th Congress and the 10th five-year socio-economic development plan, building a peaceful, independent, unified, democratic and prosperous Laos along socialist lines.

A new stage of development

During the talks, both leaders agreed that the addition of strategic connectivity to the framework of great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Laos in 2025 represented a new and long-term strategic development.

This would provide a solid political foundation for deeper, more effective and sustainable bilateral relations, contributing to political stability, development goals and the international standing of both countries.

The two leaders stressed that following the successful organisation of new-term party congresses in both countries, opening a new phase of development with long-term strategic orientations, further strengthening strategic connectivity and making bilateral cooperation more substantive would be both urgent and essential.

This was not only an objective requirement stemming from the fundamental and long-term interests of both nations, they said, but also a shared political responsibility to preserve and build upon the invaluable legacy created by generations of leaders and peoples.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm (second, right) and Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith witness the signing ceremony of the Cooperation Agreement between the Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the Office of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party for the period 2026-30 on Monday in Hà Nội.

The two sides agreed to focus on fully and effectively implementing high-level agreements and the Việt Nam–Laos Joint Statement, ensuring close alignment between strategic vision and concrete action.

They pledged to leverage each country’s strengths and prioritise projects that meet the practical needs of both peoples while carrying strong symbolic significance for bilateral ties.

Priority areas include defence and security cooperation to maintain political stability and social order, economic, trade and investment cooperation with a target of US$10 billion in two-way trade and enhanced connectivity through major infrastructure projects such as the Hà Nội–Vientiane expressway and the Vientiane–Vũng Áng railway.

The two leaders also agreed to boost cooperation in education and training, particularly in developing high-quality human resources, expand collaboration in culture, tourism, science and technology and step up partnerships in telecommunications, e-government and digital transformation.

Both sides are committed to maintaining effective information-sharing on international developments and to close consultation and mutual support on regional and global issues, including at multilateral forums.

On the occasion, President Thongloun Sisoulith invited Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to pay a return visit to Laos soon, which Lâm gladly accepted.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents. — VNS