Vientiane (VNA) – Along with fostering the Laos - Vietnam great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, Lao PrimeMinister Sonexay Siphandone’s upcoming visit to Vietnam is expected to helpbolster economic ties, said Chairman of the Laos - VietnamFriendship Association and Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos BoviengkhamVongdara.

Boviengkham noted that PM Sonexay has chosen Vietnamas the destination for his first official visit. In early 2023, PM Pham Minh Chinh also made his first official visit to Laos in his capacity as the government leader and became the first foreign guest of PM Sonexaysince he took office. This is an evidence of the closebond between the two countries, and the highest priority that they give eachother, he said.

During this visit from January 6-7, besides meetings with senior leaders of Vietnam, PM Sonexay, together with PM Chinh, will co-chair the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Government Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, and attend a Laos - Vietnaminvestment promotion conference, which is hoped to contribute to reinforcing the bilateral relations, he said.

Highlighting Vietnam’s whole-hearted support to Laos in thefield of digital technology, the Lao official said that Vietnam has selected Laosas the first country to sign an agreement on digital technology partnership,providing Laos with assistance in human resources training and technicalinfrastructure development, including the building of a cybersecurity centre.

Particularly, Vietnam has helped Laos develop educationplatforms enabling the provision of education services to lar-flung areas ofLaos via the Internet, he underlined.

In order to maintain, reinforce and develop the bilateral ties, the twosides should continue to focus on political and ideological education among theyouth, making sure that they deeply understand the great friendship, specialsolidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, thusprompting them to make the ties thrive, Boviengkham said.

Besides, the two sides should work closely together toenhance economic cooperation to match the sound bilateral political,security-defence partnership, he said.

Laos and Vietnam should encourage the two businesscommunities to support each other, making economy a firm pillar of the bilateralrelations alongside the pillars of politics, security and defence, he said,revealing that this year, the association will organise conferences to connectLao and Vietnamese enterprises.

At the same time, the two sides should pay greater attentionto socio-cultural collaboration and cooperation in human resources training andhealth care, including increasing the number of Lao students studying in Vietnam, theofficial added./.