President receives visiting Lao Prime Minister

President Tran Dai Quang on May 15 received Lao Prime Minister (PM) ThonglounSisoulith, who is on an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

President Tran Dai Quang (right) receives visiting Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith. (Photo: VNA)

President Quang warmly welcomed the Lao PM and his entourage, noting that the PM’s trip to Vietnam, which is the first official visit made abroad after being elected to the position, demonstrates the deep and time-honoured bonds between Laos and Vietnam.

The President affirmed that Vietnam whole-heartedly supports the current reform,national construction and defence of Laos.

For his part, ThonglounSisoulith expressed his pleasure at visiting Vietnam and conveyed to President Quang an invitation to visit Laos from Lao Party General Secretary and President BounnhangVolachith. President Quang accepted the invitation.

The Lao PM briefed President Quang on the result of his meeting with PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, saying that the two sides exchanged measures to realise high-ranking agreements between Vietnam and Laos. The two PMs also agreed to make their best efforts to implement the content of the Vietnam-Laos Joint Statement issued during the Vietnam visit of Lao Party General Secretary and President BounnhangVolachith.

The two sides voiced their joy at the strong and effective development of the Vietnam-Laos special relationship across political, economic, trade, security, defence, cultural and social fields.

President Tran Dai Quang recommended the two governments continue enhancing the quality of comprehensive co-operation in all fields and strive for a 20% increase of two-way trade value; effectively implementing agreements from annual summits and creating conditions for Lao and Vietnamese enterprises to expand their operations and investments.

The two sides shared the view that the traditional friendship and fraternity of the two countries is an invaluable asset, and of significance to both countries’ establishment, therefore the Parties, States and people of the two countries must always treasure and reinforce the relationship.

As Vietnam and Laos will celebrate the 55th year of diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of signing the Friendship and Co-operation Treaty in 2017, both sides agreed that the two countries need to intensify public communication campaigns on the traditions of the Vietnam-Lao relationship as well as co-ordinate to organise celebrations of the anniversaries.

President Quang also took the occasion to thank the Lao Party, State and people for helping Vietnam overcome adverse impacts of drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

(Source: NDO)