Vietnam, Laos Foreign Ministers hold 12th Political Consultation in Hanoi
WVR - At the invitation of Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane visited Vietnam and co-chaired the 12th annual Political Consultation at the ministerial level. The delegation also included Deputy Head of the Central Committee's External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Valaxay Lengsavad.
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| Vietnam, Laos Foreign Ministers hold 12th Political Consultation in Hanoi: Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
On the morning of December 18, in Hanoi, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and his Lao counterpart Thongsavanh Phomvihane co-chaired the 12th Vietnam–Laos political consultation at the foreign ministerial level, as part of the Lao official’s four-day visit to Vietnam.
During the consultation, in a spirit of special trust, the two Ministers shared the results of cooperation between the two Parties, countries, and Foreign Ministries, discussed future cooperation directions, and exchanged extensively on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Foreign Minister Trung welcomed the Lao Foreign Minister and the Deputy Head of the Central Committee's External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to this Political Consultation. Minister Trung highly appreciated the effective coordination in implementing the Agreement between the two Foreign Ministries in recent times; welcomed the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Vietnam-Laos Foreign Ministries for the 2026–2030 period, thereby concretizing tasks and implementation measures suitable for the new development phase of the two countries' relations; emphasized the need for both sides to enhance exchanges and propose to the leaders of the two countries directions and measures for cooperation between the two Parties and countries in fields that are truly effective, substantial, and commensurate with the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos.
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed the continued close coordination and regular maintenance of annual rotating cooperation mechanisms at the ministerial and deputy ministerial levels; meetings and joint activities between the two Foreign Ministries; strengthening exchanges between functional units in fields such as economy, consular affairs, border work, sector building, personnel training, information - press, international law, diaspora work, and multilateral cooperation, including Mekong sub-regional cooperation, ASEAN, and international forums such as the United Nations; expressing confidence that the effective coordination and cooperation between the two Ministries will continue to make significant contributions to strengthening and nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos.
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| Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung welcomes the Lao Foreign Minister and the Deputy Head of the Central Committee's External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to this Political Consultation in Hanoi. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Both sides expressed delight at the strong development of Vietnam-Laos cooperative relations in recent times. Political cooperation and strategic trust continue to be strengthened, serving as the core and overall orientation for the two countries' relations. Defense, security, and foreign affairs cooperation is maintained firmly and develops positively.
Economic, trade, and investment cooperation has seen significant changes; many key projects have been resolved, completed, and handed over on schedule.
Cooperation in culture, education, science, and technology continues to be promoted, achieving many practical results; cooperation between the Party committees, ministries, sectors, and localities of the two countries is increasingly expanded and deepened.
Regarding cooperation between the former Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations, now the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Central External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung highly appreciated the achieved cooperation results, while acknowledging the effective implementation of the Cooperation Agreement for the 2021-2025 period and the signing of a new Cooperation Agreement for the 2026-2030 period.
The Vietnamese Foreign Minister affirmed that these agreements have deepened, made substantial, and sustainable the strategic coordination and connection between the two agencies, thereby enhancing the core role of the external relations agencies of the two Parties and States in preserving and nurturing the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.
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| Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed the continued close coordination and regular maintenance of annual rotating cooperation mechanisms at the ministerial and deputy ministerial levels. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Valaxay Lengsavad, Deputy Head of the Central Committee's External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, emphasized the traditional friendship between the two Parties and the mutual cooperation and support between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as an important foundation for effectively implementing each Party's foreign tasks, thereby contributing to strengthening and enhancing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, strategic connection between Vietnam and Laos.
Leaders of the two Foreign Ministries and the Central External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party agreed to continue close coordination in supporting Party building committees, central ministries, political-social organizations, and people's organizations of the two countries to enhance cooperation, exchange information, and share experiences in Party building, political system building, and socio-economic development; contributing to ensuring macroeconomic stability, security, defense, and promoting international integration of each country.
Both sides coordinated to effectively implement bilateral cooperation agreements and successfully carry out other tasks assigned by the leaders of the two Parties and States; successfully implement the goals of each Party and country, especially organizing the successful National Congress and National Assembly elections for the new term of each Party and country; coordinate to effectively implement high-level external activities between the two Parties and countries in the coming time.
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| Overview of the meeting. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Both sides shared views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, expressing joy at the frequent coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations; ASEAN and Mekong sub-regional cooperation. At the end of the Consultation, both sides agreed to hold the 13th Political Consultation in Laos.
* The Political Consultation session is an important annual political exchange activity in the cooperation between the two countries' Foreign Ministries. This year's session is particularly significant as it is held right after a series of important high-level external activities between the two Parties and States that took place in early December.
This is an opportunity for both sides to exchange content and agree on cooperation directions focusing on mechanisms and methods of coordinating tasks between the Vietnam-Laos Foreign Ministries and between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central External Relations Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on measures to effectively implement agreements reached by the high-level leaders of the two Parties and countries during the State visit to Laos, attending the 50th National Day celebration, and the recent high-level meeting between the two Parties.
