The President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Trần Thanh Mẫn. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dân

VIENTIANE – The President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Trần Thanh Mẫn, met in Vientiane yesterday with top leaders to discuss future cooperation, including infrastructure development at their border and regulations regarding Vietnamese living in Laos.

Party General Secretary and President of Laos Bounnhang Volachith praised the cooperation between the front organisations of Việt Nam and Laos, which contributes to enhancing the two countries’ special solidarity and friendship. 

The Lao leader underlined the fact that the working visit to Laos by the VFF President from August 10-13 was taking place on the occasion of the 55th founding anniversary of Việt Nam-Laos diplomatic ties and 40 years of the Treaty on Amity and Co-operation. He said it provides an opportunity to educate young generations about the two nations’ close relations.

Mẫn also met with the Chairman of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee, Saysomphone Phomvihane, to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. 

He suggested that the two fronts jointly launch a plan on implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation among the Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian fronts and a joint communiqué by the VFF and LFNC Central Committees about the outcomes of the international conference on building the Việt Nam-Laos border of peace for mutual development for the 2017-2020 period. 
Mẫn urged the host to help convince authorities in his  country to ease requirements for Vietnamese nationals seeking Lao citizenship, and simplify procedures regarding marriage, business and labour. 
The Vietnamese official said he hoped the two countries would also step up transport connectivity, enhance infrastructure investment in border areas, and partner in the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during the war. 
Phomvihane, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, Front and people for their valuable support during the war as well as the current construction and development. He agreed with the guest’s proposal to further boost bilateral exchanges and conveyed his sympathy to Vietnamese victims of recent floods. — VNS