HÀ NỘI – The National Assemblies (NA) of Việt Nam and Laos are hoped to increase cooperation and experience exchanges in order to make their ties on par with those between the two countries’ Parties, States and people.
Lao NA Vice Chairman Somphan Phengkhammy expressed the wish at a meeting with NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân in Hà Nội yesterday.

The guest said his ongoing visit to Việt Nam aims to study the position, role, functions and power of the provincial and municipal People’s Councils, adding that the Lao delegation is scheduled to visit the central provinces of Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An and HCM City.
He said the Lao NA hopes to coordinate with Việt Nam in organising a workshop sharing experience in public debt management and supervision.
She said the two countries would jointly host a workshop to share experience between Vietnamese and Lao parliaments in next October and a ceremony to inaugurate the Việt Nam – Laos historical site in the northern province of Sơn La to mark the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 40th anniversary of signing the Việt Nam – Lao Amity and Cooperation Treaty.
The top Vietnamese legislator also suggested the two NAs coordinate in supervising the implementation of high-level agreements and commitments, and their bodies promote experience exchanges.

In talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Uông Chu Lưu, the visiting Lao legislator said his country wishes to learn about the organisational structure and activities of the Vietnamese NA Committee for Deputy Affairs, and the all-level People’s Councils, especially those at provincial levels.

He said he believes that Việt Nam will increase its development pace and promote relations with his country.
He affirmed that Laos will work closely with Việt Nam in organising events to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and 40 years of the signing of the Amity and Cooperation Treaty between the two nations.
For his part, Lưu spoke highly of Laos’s recent legislative achievements, including the ratification of the Revised Constitution, saying that these contribute to reinforcing the country’s legal system and laying the foundation for Laos to realise its socio-economic development goals.
He expressed his belief that the Lao NA will continue making important contributions to successfully implementing the Resolution of the 10th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the country’s socio-economic development plan for 2016-20.

Presidential reception

The Party, State and people of Việt Nam give the highest priority to enhancing the time-honoured friendship with Laos, President Trần Đại Quang told Phengkhammy yesterday.

Việt Nam considers the relationship an invaluable asset and vital to the revolutionary causes of the two countries, the President said.

Noting with pleasure co-operation between the two countries, President Quang said such achievements were due to the contributions of their legislative bodies.

He suggested the two agencies continue working to implement high-ranking co-operation agreements, especially those sealed at the 38th meeting of the Việt Nam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee in December last year, while increasing the exchange of experience, particularly in building institutions and laws, and supervising law enforcement, he said.

Phengkhammy said that the Lao NA will mark 40 years since the signing of the Việt Nam-Laos Amity and Cooperation Treaty (July 18) and the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, in a bid to help the two countries’ young generations understand more about the special solidarity. — VNS