Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc receives Vice President of Laos Phankham Viphavanh in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc pledged yesterday that Viet Nam would continue backing Laos’s nation-building efforts in the face of all difficulties.

Speaking at a reception for visiting Vice President of Laos Phankham Viphavanh in Hà Nội, he said he highly valued the co-ordination between two countries in organising a host of meaningful activities to mark the Việt Nam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017.

He said he expected both sides to strengthen educating younger generations on preserving the special bilateral relations enjoyed by both countries, boost people-to-people exchanges, and accelerate investment and trade.

The PM also expressed his hope that both countries would continue reforming their laws and policies to take new strides in international integration, and share their experiences in this effort.

Phankham Viphavanh stressed the importance of the governments’ instructions in determining the outcomes of co-operative programmes between the two countries.

The huge assistance that Laos had received from Việt Nam had yielded a lot of socio-economic achievements, he noted.

He thanked Việt Nam for helping Laos build the National Assembly House, describing it as a gift of extreme significance.

He said "Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements are a source of encouragement for Laos", adding that the experiences that Việt Nam continues to share will serve as a foundation for Laos’ development.

Presidential reception

Also yesterday, President Trần Đại Quang welcomed the visit by Phankham Viphavanh, saying that the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party would help the people of Laos implement successfully resolutions adopted by the 10th National Party Congress and the nation’s eighth five-year socio-economic development plan.

He said he was delighted at the success of the meeting between the two Politburos, the 39th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee and the recent visits by the two countries’ leaders.

The President told his guest that the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat held a conference in May to instruct ministries, agencies and localities to implement the Việt Nam-Laos high-level agreement with an aim of making bilateral ties work in the people’s interest.

He said the two countries should continue working closely on organising activities celebrating the Year of Solidarity and Friendship until the end of the year.

Such activities would educate the people on the special relations that the two countries enjoy, he said.

For his part, Viphavanh underscored the significance of educating young generations on the tradition of solidarity and special bond between the two Parties, States and peoples. 

He said he was honoured to confer Laos’ most noble distinctions on Vietnamese Party and State leaders in recognition of their contributions to fostering solidarity, friendship, and close-knit attachment between the two nations.— VNS