Vietnam-Laos diplomatic cooperation: A prime example of close and effective coordination
WVR - On the occasion of Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane's official visit to Vietnam and co-chairing the 12th Vietnam-Laos Ministerial Political Consultation (from December 16-20), Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam shared with the World and Vietnam Report the significance of the visit as well as a comprehensive review of the cooperation flow between the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
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| General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary, President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith co-chaired the high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on December 2. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Could you elaborate on the significance and key focuses of Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane's official visit to Vietnam and the co-chairing of the 12th Vietnam-Laos Ministerial Political Consultation (from December 16-20), at the invitation of Central Party Secretary, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung?
The working visit to Vietnam and the co-chairing of the Vietnam-Laos Ministerial Political Consultation (from December 16-20) by Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane holds significant importance. It takes place amidst the ongoing strengthening of political relations and strategic ties between the two countries, serving as a core and guiding role in the overall Vietnam-Laos relationship.
Recently, both sides successfully organized the state visit to Laos by General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, attended the 50th National Day of Laos celebration, and co-chaired the high-level meeting between the two parties (December 1-2).
Notably, during the visit, senior leaders of both countries agreed to deepen and enrich the relationship to a "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connection".
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Laos) |
The Prime Ministers of both countries also successfully co-chaired the 48th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee (December 2-3), contributing to the timely and effective implementation of agreements and directives from the high-level leaders of both countries right after the high-level meeting between the two parties.
Defense, security, and foreign affairs cooperation are considered pillars, continuing to maintain solid stability, security, and development for each country.
The fields of economy, trade, and investment have seen many positive changes, creating breakthroughs and new highlights; many key projects and contents have resolved lingering issues. Cultural, educational, scientific, and technical cooperation continues to be strongly promoted, achieving many practical results.
The relationship between party committees, ministries, government agencies, national assemblies, fronts, and localities of the two countries continues to be strengthened and increasingly substantive.
Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane's visit and the 12th Vietnam-Laos Ministerial Political Consultation take place right after a series of high-level diplomatic activities between the two parties and countries in early December 2025. This context includes the recent signing of the 2026-2030 cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the cooperation agreement between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party during the state visit of General Secretary To Lam and his spouse.
Notably, this Vietnam-Laos Ministerial Political Consultation also includes the participation of representatives from the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
This is an appropriate time for the two Foreign Ministers to review the situation, agree on directions, and promote the implementation of high-level agreements as well as the results of the meeting between the leaders of the two parties and the 48th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee.
How do you evaluate the tradition of cooperation between the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs over the past eight decades, especially as both diplomatic sectors celebrate their 80th anniversaries this year?
In 2025, both the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors celebrate their 80th anniversaries, with August 28, 1945, marking the traditional day of the Vietnamese diplomatic sector and October 12, 1945, marking the day for Laos.
Over the past 80 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the diplomatic sectors of both Vietnam and Laos have made significant contributions to the revolutionary cause of each country and have been an important bridge in strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, strategically connecting Vietnam and Laos.
From the very beginning, both the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors were honored to be directly led by pioneering leaders. In Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh was the first Foreign Minister.
In Laos, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong were pioneering leaders who laid the foundation for the Lao diplomatic sector, with President Souphanouvong being the first Foreign Minister.
On the foundation of the special close relationship between the two countries, nurtured by the pioneering revolutionary leaders of both nations, along with other sectors and fields, the cooperative relationship between the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors has become increasingly close, friendly, and coordinated more closely and effectively.
The perspective "We regard the happiness and prosperity of our Lao brothers as our own" by President Ho Chi Minh, along with the motto "Helping friends is helping ourselves", has been embraced by generations of leaders in the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors, continuing to be strengthened and developed, both for "friendship, comradeship, brotherhood, special solidarity" and ensuring national and ethnic interests.
It can be affirmed that the relationship between the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors is a prime example of close and effective coordination. During the resistance war for national salvation, the diplomacy of both sides closely coordinated in negotiations and mobilizing international community support, regularly sharing information and supporting each other.
In peacetime, the diplomacy of both countries continues to play a bridging role, promoting comprehensive cooperation in all fields. Cooperation mechanisms between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, such as political consultations, coordination, and mutual support at multilateral forums and organizations, cooperation between representative agencies abroad, and economic diplomacy cooperation, are increasingly effective and practical, contributing positively to protecting the common strategic interests of both countries.
Based on the cooperation agreement between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the 2021-2025 period and the cooperation agreement between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, both sides regularly maintain and enrich cooperation mechanisms between the two Ministries, such as the annual Ministerial Political Consultation mechanism, the Vietnam-Laos Vice Ministerial Political Consultation, and professional cooperation forms between related units such as consular affairs, border work, information exchange, sharing experiences in foreign affairs, sector building work, training cooperation, professional skills training, press information, multilateral cooperation, and the Action Program on strengthening economic diplomacy cooperation for the 2020-2025 period...
These cooperation mechanisms have contributed to tightening and deepening the cooperative relationship between the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors.
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| Central Party Secretary, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung met with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phovihane on the occasion of attending the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
In the future, according to you, given the grand development goals of both countries, how should the two diplomatic sectors foster cooperation to help realize these goals and elevate bilateral relations to new heights?
Currently, Vietnam and Laos are firmly advancing on the path of building socialism while deeply integrating internationally. The lessons learned and consistent policies and strategies of the Parties and States of Vietnam and Laos continue to be guiding lights for the special relationship between the two countries in general and the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors in particular.
The political relationship between the two Parties and countries is increasingly close and trustworthy, serving as the core guiding the overall bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Meetings and exchanges between the leaders of the Parties, States, and localities of both countries are regularly maintained. Events for meetings, information exchanges, and experience sharing between ministries, departments, localities, social organizations, and various classes of people in both countries are increasingly vibrant and diverse.
In the future, although the international situation continues to evolve complexly, we believe that the Vietnamese and Lao diplomatic sectors will continue to join hands and make every effort to enhance cooperation effectiveness.
The two countries need to continue consolidating and innovating bilateral coordination mechanisms; actively promoting cooperation on all channels; strengthening border management coordination, ensuring stability and security in border areas, effectively addressing non-traditional security challenges; enhancing economic and cultural diplomacy coordination; making practical contributions to the building and development efforts in each country, contributing to nurturing the "Great Friendship, Special Solidarity, Comprehensive Cooperation, Strategic Connection" between the two countries, elevating it to new heights, forever green and sustainable, for the benefit of the peoples of both countries, contributing to peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and the world.
Thank you very much, Ambassador!
