Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (right) holds talks with his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith on Sunday. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐÀ NẴNG — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith on Sunday exchanged information and experience in combating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as specific measures to foster collaboration in various fields in the post-pandemic period.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith is leading a high-ranking delegation to Việt Nam on Sunday and Monday at the invitation of PM Phúc, becoming the first foreign State leader to visit Việt Nam since the pandemic broke out.

The visit has been made in the context the two countries have contained the pandemic and look forward to post-COVID-19 recovery co-operation.

While Việt Nam has recorded almost three months without COVID-19 community transmission, the Lao Government has declared a victory over the pandemic in the first phase. Laos has recorded more than three months without community infection and there are currently no positive cases.

During their talks in central Đà Nẵng City on Sunday, the two leaders agreed to strengthen commodity and service exchanges, as well as promote people-to-people activities.

The two countries should also consider resuming flight routes soon and restart visits and meetings at various levels among ministries and localities, they said.

Congratulating the Lao Party and people on their achievements, especially their COVID-19 prevention and control efforts, PM Phúc expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), Laos would be able to recover from the pandemic, continue to realise targets and successfully organise the Party congress next year.

Thongloun Sisoulith spoke highly of Việt Nam’s efforts in realising dual targets of fighting COVID-19 and developing its socio-economy.

He took this opportunity to thank Việt Nam for donating medical equipment and sending medical experts to assist Laos, welcoming more than 2,000 Lao students who came back to Việt Nam to study and quarantining them.

He hoped that Việt Nam would continue to create favourable conditions for the remaining Lao students to come back for study.

He conveyed greetings of LPRD General Secretary and Laos’ President Bounnhang Vorachith and Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou to Vietnamese Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân.

PM Phúc and his Lao counterpart agreed to strengthen implementation of agreements reached at the 42nd meeting of the Việt Nam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee in January, 2020.

Việt Nam and Laos would continue to promote co-operation in defence, security, economy, commerce, investment and finance and ensure progress and quality of Vietnamese investment projects in Laos.

Both sides also exchanged their viewpoints on regional and international issues in which the two countries share concerns.

The two PMs agreed that they would continue their close collaboration within the ASEAN framework, sub-Mekong region and at the United Nations.

PM Thongloun Sisoulith congratulated Việt Nam on successful organisation of the 36th ASEAN Summit and the active role as ASEAN Chair in maintaining effective ASEAN collaboration in the context of the pandemic.

He pledged Laos’ continued support for Việt Nam’s ASEAN 2020 Chairmanship.

PM Phúc thanked Laos for its contributions to joint efforts in building a strong, cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community.

During the talks, the two sides highlighted the importance of maintaining peace, stability and the rule of law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

The Lao delegation on Monday is scheduled to visit Vietnamese production and service facilities to learn from Việt Nam’s pandemic recovery experience.  — VNS