Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese and Lao Governments are organising the43rd session of their inter-governmental committee, affirmingboth countries’ diplomatic priority of unceasingly developing the bilateralrelationship of great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensivecooperation.

The event also aims at strengthening the political trustbetween the two countries; and creating a channel for directing theacceleration of the implementation of high-level agreements, and of thecooperative relations between the two countries in the time to come.

To co-chair the session, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith is visitingVietnam from December 4 – 6 at an invitation of his Vietnamese counterpartNguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Lao leader’s Vietnam visit takes place in the context of the bilateralgreat friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation developingwell. In 2020, although many activities are cancelled due to the COVID-19pandemic, both sides maintain high-level visits and meetings and cooperationmechanisms, notably an annual meeting of the two Political Bureaus and the 42nd session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee.

In the first half of this year, the countries exchanged 27delegations, in which 10 Vietnamese delegations visited Laos.

Defence-security cooperation continues to be one of theimportant pillars in the bilateral relations. Vietnam and Laos have activelycarried out the five-year cooperation protocol and the annual defence –security cooperation plans, helping ensure political stability, security andsocial order and safety in each nation. They have also effectively carried outthe agreement on border regulations and the one on dealing with irregular migrationand undocumented marriage in their border areas.

Additionally, both sides have continued working together tosearch for and repatriate the remains of Vietnam’s volunteer soldiers andexperts who laid down their lives in Laos during wartime. In the 2019 – 2020dry season, 168 remains were repatriated from Laos.

Due to the COVID-10 pandemic, bilateral cooperation in trade and investment hasbeen affected. Two-way trade was valued at 815.5 million USD duringJanuary-October, down 12.2 percent year-on-year.

The two sides have effectively implemented the project onimproving the quality and effectiveness of bilateral ties in education andhuman resources development for 2011 – 2020.

In 2020, Vietnam provided 1,000 scholarships for Laos, whilethe latter also gave 60 scholarships for the former.

Additionally, links between Vietnamese and Lao localities,especially the border ones, have been further strengthened, including ininfrastructure building, health care, human resources development, and bordersecurity ensuring.

The countries have also coordinated closely and supportedeach other at regional and international forums. They have further enhancedcooperation with each other and other ASEAN members in building the ASEANCommunity and maintaining the bloc’s solidarity and consensus in the strategicissues of the region./.