Vietnamese and Lao PMs co-chair 44th session of Intergovernmental Committee
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Phankham Viphavanh co-chaired the 44th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation on the morning of January 10.
During the meeting, the two PMs witnessed the signing ceremony of official documents as part of the session, along with co-operation documents between ministries, sectors, and enterprises of the two countries.
Despite being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic over recent times, joint co-operative relations have enjoyed positive developments in a substantive and effective manner.
The two sides have been able to maintain meetings and delegation exchange in all channels and regularly deploy bilateral co-operation mechanisms in various forms. Co-operation in defence, security, diplomacy, and co-ordination at both international and regional forums therefore continues to be strengthened.
Most notably, two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached US$1.3 billion in 2021, representing an increase of more than 30% over the same period from the previous year. Indeed, Vietnamese investment capital into the neighbouring country hit US$112 million, marking an annual rise of 27%.
The official visit to Vietnam by Laotian PM Viphavan is the first visit by a foreign senior leader to the nation in 2022.
Within the framework of his working visit, PM Viphavanh had a host of meetings with Vietnamese senior leaders and joined PM Chinh to launch the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Year of Friendship and Solidarity 2022.
This year has special significance for the two countries as it marks the opening of the “Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022” on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and 45 years of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
These events are of historical significance as they represent shining milestones featuring special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.
