The visit, taking place at the beginning of 2025, holds significant importance as Vietnam and Laos are actively implementing their National Party Congresses’ resolutions, socio-economic development plans, and preparing for Party congresses at all levels, towards each country’s National Party Congress in early 2026.
    |
 |
|
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone (Photo: VOV) |
This is the first overseas trip by a key Vietnamese leader in 2025 and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is also the first foreign leader to visit Laos this year. The visit demonstrates the profound, practical, and dynamic special solidarity between the two countries.
As close neighbors, Vietnam and Laos have forged and nurtured a deep bond over thousands of years of national construction and development. Since the establishment and leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party, and later the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, this relationship has been increasingly developed into a special solidarity.
The outstanding victories of the Vietnam-Laos combat alliance have become an eternal epic and a symbol of the special solidarity of the two countries in the past, at present, and in the future.
In the national construction and development cause of each country, the Vietnam-Laos relationship, founded by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane, and President Souphanouvong, and nurtured through generations, has been forged in the struggle for independence, freedom, and happiness of both nations, and is further beefed up.
Amidst the rapidly changing and complex global and regional context, the two countries have prioritized and created the most favorable conditions for each other’s development. These joint efforts have contributed to the prosperity of both nations and for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Over the past time, under the profound leadership of the Politburos and with dedicated efforts and high determination of the governments, ministries, sectors, and localities of the two sides, Vietnam and Laos have seriously and effectively implemented high-level agreements, achieving significant results across various areas of cooperation. Hence, the political relationship between the two countries has grown increasingly reliable and close-knit, serving as the cornerstone and strategic orientation for their bilateral ties. Both sides successfully held the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee in January 2024, as well as high-level meetings between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party in February and September last year. Meanwhile, defense and security cooperation has been strengthened in both quality and scope, effectively maintaining political stability, social order and safety in each country, contributing to building a shared borderline of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation, and development.
At the same time, economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has also seen positive developments. In the first ten months of 2024, the bilateral trade turnover reached USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 28.2% compared to the same period in 2023. Cooperation between localities in both countries, particularly border provinces, continues to yield effective results, contributing to the overall partnership between Vietnam and Laos. The two countries have supported and assisted each other effectively in multilateral international and regional cooperation forums. They have also actively coordinated and provided strong support to ensure Laos successfully fulfilled its responsibilities as the ASEAN Chair 2024 and Chair of the 45th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
With pride and excitement over the remarkable progress in bilateral relations, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent policy of prioritizing and giving utmost importance to the exemplary, pure, and deeply loyal special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. In the current context, both countries are presented with numerous development opportunities but also face significant new challenges. The two parties, states, and peoples of Vietnam and Laos remain steadfast in their determination to preserve, protect, and nurture the unique Vietnam-Laos relationship - a rare bond in the world - so that it continues to be an invaluable shared asset, passed down to future generations.
We wish Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit a great success, creating a new momentum to further enhance the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, ensuring its continued and profound development.
By the Editorial Board
Translated by Minh Anh