Hanoi-Vientiane relations key to bilateral friendship: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 4 praised the relations between Hanoi and Vientiane and considered it as one of the key factors to drive the Vietnam-Laos friendship.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) meets Vientiane's Mayor Atsaphangthong Siphandone on October 4. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The friendly relations with Laos and the decentralized relations between the two capitals are among the top priorities of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the Government, Prime Minister Chinh told Vice Secretary of the Vientiane Party Committee cum Mayor of Vientiane Capital Atsaphangthong Siphandone at a reception.

He suggested that both Party organizations, governments and people of Hanoi and Vientiane realize high-level agreements and other cooperative documents reached by the two central governments, enhance delegation and people exchanges, organize more activities for women and youth associations, and further develop strategic infrastructure connectivity.

Hanoi and Vientiane should seek better collaboration in agriculture and tourism, in which both cities are good, and increase bilateral trade and investment, biotechnology, healthcare and logistics, the Vietnamese Prime Minister said.

He urged the two governments to promote cultural exchanges and improve public awareness of the relations of Vietnam-Laos and Hanoi-Vientiane, adding that both capitals should cooperate and support each other to complete the legislative framework and spur socio-economic growth.

The Prime Minister also lauded the efforts made by Vientiane authorities that have contributed to the growth of Laos in the past four decades.

For his part, Atsaphangthong agreed with Prime Minister Chinh’s comments. He affirmed that the two capitals will achieve better results in delegation exchanges and collaborative programs of transport infrastructure, education and training, investment and trade, culture and tourism, and people exchange.

The Lao official also conveyed regards from his Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone to Vietnam’s Prime Minister Chinh.

Vientiane's Mayor Atsaphangthong Siphandone is in Hanoi on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2023).

In relation to Hanoi

Vientiane, with recent socio-economic growth achievements, will remain the key to Laos’ future development, said Hanoi Party Committee’s Secretary Dinh Tien Dung on October 4.

The meeting between Hanoi Party Committee's Secretary Dinh Tien Dung and Vientiane's Mayor Atsaphangthong Siphandone on October 4. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times

He told Vientiane’s Mayor Atsaphangthong Siphandone at a meeting that the Lao capital city has performed well in accomplishing the tasks.

He urged the authorities of Vientiane to continue to realize the agreements with Hanoi, stressing that Hanoi-Vientiane relations must be an example for other localities of both nations to follow.

“Hanoi and Vietnamese governments will provide support for Laos to fulfill its accountability as the ASEAN Chairmanship 2024 and assist Laos to organize the Tourism Year 2024 and other important activities,” Dung said.

“Hanoi will further work with the authorities of Laos and Vientiane to drive each other’s growth and develop the bilateral relations between the two nations towards sustainability, enduring friendship.”

In another meeting with leaders and officials of the Hanoi People's Committee on the same day, Hanoi Mayor Tran Sy Thanh proposed specific research and exchange collaboration with the capital city of Vientiane in several areas, such as digital transformation, e-governance, cyberspace management, and combating cybercrime in the coming time.

“Especially with the emergence of cybercrime worldwide, the lack of cooperation between the two sides can be detrimental to the lives of people and each country's economy," emphasized Thanh.

“I hope we can reach an agreement in principle to coordinate in various departments to enhance capabilities in several new technology fields," he proposed.

The Hanoi mayor affirmed the Hanoi-Vientiane partnership as a bright spot contributing to the promotion of overall cooperation between the two countries. The agreement on cooperation between the two capitals for the period 2022-2025 will provide a new framework and momentum to promote cooperation activities between Hanoi and Vientiane in the next phase.

Within the framework of cooperation between the two capitals, Mayor of Vientiane Atsaphangthong Siphandone wanted to promote cooperation activities between the two sides, including building a grassroots democratic political system at the district and commune levels.

He said Vientiane would strive to complete the cooperative projects between the two capitals that have been implemented previously, aiming for substantial and increasingly developed cooperation between the two capitals, affirmed the Mayor of Vientiane.

"I hope that the two sides will have closer cooperation, delve deeper, and elevate the capitals to comprehensive cooperative relations," he said.