General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyễn Phú Trọng greets top Lao leader Thongloun Sisoulith in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith arrived in Hà Nội yesterday and signed various agreements with his Vietnamese counterpart.

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and General Secretary and President Sisoulith witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements between the two nations following their talks on Monday.

Among those signed were agreements on the Việt Nam-Laos cooperation strategy for 2021 – 2030 and on bilateral collaboration for 2021-2025.

Numerous pacts between Vietnamese and Lao ministries were inked at the event, including those between the two ministries of planning and investment, and between the Party Central Committee's Office of Việt Nam and the LPRP Central Committee's Office for 2021-25.

They also agreed a collaboration plan on culture, art and tourism for 2021-25 between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Việt Nam and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, another cooperation plan between the Ministry of Information and Communications of Việt Nam and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, and an agreement between the Party Central Committee's Mass Mobilisation Commission and the Lao Front for National Construction’s Central Committee.

A number of deals were also signed by businesses from both sides of the border.

Sisoulith, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of the Lao Party and State, began an official visit to Việt Nam on Monday.

It is the first overseas trip by the top Lao leader in his capacity as Lao Party General Secretary and President for the 2021 – 2026 term.

The visit aims to implement the consistent foreign policy of Laos and Việt Nam and enhance the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation of the two countries.

It also offers an opportunity for the two countries to further exchange experience in development and accelerate the effective implementation of bilateral agreements in 2021 and beyond.

The official ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội on Monday was chaired by President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his spouse.

Also present at the event were the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Võ Văn Thưởng, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation Trương Thị Mai, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Trần Thanh Mẫn, Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang, and Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm, among others. 

High-level meetings

Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ also held a meeting with Lao President Sisoulith in Hà Nội, during which Việt Nam's top legislator expressed gratitude for Laos' donations sent to Việt Nam to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

He congratulated Laos for its effort to contain the pandemic as the country has recorded a small number of infections in recent months. 

President Sisoulith said Lao people and the Lao government appreciate Việt Nam's support and friendship, especially Việt Nam's assistance in the construction of Laos' National Assembly building. 

The two leaders discussed cooperation between the two countries' lawmakers and agreed to increase exchanges of delegations and experience sharing based on a cooperation framework signed in 2017. 

The Lao leader relayed an invitation from the Chairman of Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane to his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Laos. 

While in Hà Nội, President Sisoulith also met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and visited former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Nông Đức Mạnh and former President Trần Đức Lương. VNS