Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh (left) and Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumsay Kommasith. VNA/VNS PHoto

VIENTIANE – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs  Phạm Bình Minh and Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumsay Kommasith Sunday said the Việt Nam-Laos relationship has been thriving despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While chairing the seventh annual political consultation at the foreign ministerial level in Vientiane, the officials said political co-operation had been enhanced with regular visits, phone talks and high-level meetings. 

Attention had been paid to bilateral co-operation mechanisms in fields like national defence-security, external affairs, economy, culture, education and science-technology. 

The ministers agreed to instruct the two foreign ministries to co-ordinate to better serve high-level visits and meetings and prepare for the 43rd meeting of the inter-governmental committee while joining hands with other ministries and agencies to implement co-operation agreements, programmes and projects. 

They said collaboration between the two foreign ministries had been reinforced through annual co-operation mechanisms at ministerial and deputy ministerial levels, as well as other mechanisms and forms. 

Notably, the two sides held an online political consultation at the foreign ministerial level in October and signed an action programme on co-operation in economic diplomacy for 2020-2025. 

Minh took the occasion to thank the Lao side for supporting Việt Nam's candidacy for seats at UN agencies and organisations in recent times, and for backing Việt Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. 

Việt Nam would support Laos to organise the ninth Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit, and the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Việt Nam (CLV) Development Triangle Area Summit. 

The ministers also exchanged views on regional and international matters, the East Sea issue and the sustainable use of Mekong River water resources.

The two sides agreed to continue close co-ordination at regional and international forums, share information and viewpoints, and co-ordinate in seeking international resources for joint projects and programmes. 

Following the political consultation, the two ministers signed a co-operation agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao foreign ministries for 2021-2025. 

On this occasion of Minh's visit to Laos from November 29-30, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed its first commercial flight between Hà Nội and Vientiane since the pandemic broke out. — VNS