General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (left) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm reviewed the guards of honour during the welcome ceremony for the latter in Vientiane on February 5. — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith hosted an official welcome ceremony on Thursday morning for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation who are on a State visit to Laos.

Organised at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane, the ceremony was also attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

During the visit, General Secretary Tô Lâm is scheduled to hold talks with senior leaders of the Lao Party and State to comprehensively exchange views on the situation of each Party and country, review bilateral cooperation in recent years, and agree on major orientations for relations in the new stage of development.

The Vietnamese Party leader will also witness the signing of important cooperation documents between ministries, agencies and localities, providing a legal framework and fresh impetus for deeper, more substantive and effective bilateral cooperation.

A key focus of the visit is to further concretize the notion of “strategic cohesion,” agreed by General Secretary Tô Lâm and Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith in December 2025 as a step toward elevating the bilateral ties to a higher level.

General Secretary Tô Lâm and Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith along with key leaders of the two countries at the welcome ceremony on February 5. — VNA/VNS Photo

Taking place at the outset of the new leadership term in both countries, the visit carries a special orientation significance, demonstrating strong political determination to align strategic vision with concrete action programmes and to translate development aspirations into tangible results. It is expected to provide a solid political foundation for further deepening Việt Nam–Laos relations, enhancing their effectiveness and sustainability in line with the special nature of special relationship and the trust and expectations of the two countries' people.

Earlier the same day, immediately after arriving in Vientiane, General Secretary Tô Lâm, PM Phạm Minh Chính, NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Soldiers in Vientiane, paying tribute to the fallen heroes of the Lao people who sacrificed their lives for the liberation, protection and development of Laos. — VNA/VNS 

A view of the welcome ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

Vietnamese and Lao top leaders at the podium for the welcome ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

Việt Nam's Party chief Tô Lâm received welcoming flowers from young students of Vientiane at the welcome ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo