(MPI) - The 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation took place in Hanoi on January 7 under the co-chair of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone witness the signing of the minute of meeting. Photo: MPI

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised that despite many difficulties and challenges, thanks to the profound direction of both Politburos and the high effort and determination of the States, Governments, ministries, agencies, and localities, the two countries have seriously and effectively implemented high-level agreements, achieving many accomplishments in cooperation, contributing to building independent, self-reliant, and deeply, substantively, and effectively internationally integrated economies, with many notable outcomes worth recognizing.

Both prime ministers expressed their delight at the successful cooperation results in many fields; the Intergovernmental Committee, chaired by the two ministers of Planning and Investment, continues to promote effectiveness, fostering the implementation of cooperation agreements in all areas.

In 2023, both sides made efforts and completed 13 task groups set at the 45th meeting; economic, trade, and investment cooperation were given attention and promoted, yielding significant results.

Both sides agreed to focus on implementing key cooperation tasks for 2024, such as effectively implementing joint statements and agreements signed at the 46th meeting; proposing strong and practical measures to continue deepening the political and diplomatic relationship between the two countries; strengthening defense and security cooperation; continuing to give special priority to educational and training cooperation.

Economic cooperation is strived to promote trade turnover between the two countries in 2024 by 10-15% compared to 2023; focusing on resolving difficulties, promoting the implementation of transportation infrastructure connections; considering agriculture and rural development as one of the pillars of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Vietnam and Laos will prioritise and promote improving quality in educational and training cooperation and human resource development; the Vietnamese Government continues to provide 1,120 scholarships for Lao officials and students to study in Vietnam; continuing to send Vietnamese teachers to teach the Vietnamese language in Laos.

Concluding the event, the two leaders vowed to direct ministries, sectors, localities, businesses to closely coordinate in effectively implementing committed agreements, including continuing to create maximum facilitation for businesses of both countries in investment cooperation and production business.

Both sides believe that the success of the meeting will create a new momentum helping the cooperative relationship between the two countries to increasingly developed in a substantive, reliable and effective manner, continuously strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the coming time.

The press conference. Photo: MPI

On this occasion, Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment, Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee Nguyen Chi Dung and his Lao counterpart, Chairman of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee Khamjane Vongphosy co-chaired a press conference to inform about the meeting’s content.

Minister Dung said that the 46th meeting was carried out successfully and achieved many important results in cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. In the spirit of mutual trust, the two countries will support each other in international and regional forums./.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment