Vietnam’s State President To Lam and his entourage arrived in Vientiane on Thursday morning for a two-day state visit at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith.

This is the state president’s first overseas trip, with Laos being the first leg followed by Cambodia, since he was elected to the post by the National Assembly last month.

The leader is accompanied by President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, and many other officials.

Welcoming President Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation at Wattay Airport were Chairwoman of the Presidential Office of Laos Khemmani Pholsena, Governor of Vientiane Atsaphangthong Siphandone, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Bounleua Phandanouvong, and Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung and other officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos were also present at the reception.

After the official welcome ceremony for President Lam hosted by General Secretary of the LPRP and President of Laos Thongloun, the two leaders, along with many officials of both sides, had a talk focusing on promoting bilateral all-round cooperation.   

During the two-day visit, President Lam will have meetings with many other senior leaders of Laos to review the high-level agreements, speed up important areas of cooperation, and set out directions for future cooperation, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet.

Many significant cooperative deals are expected to be signed during the visit.

The economic, trade, and investment relations between Vietnam and Laos have been expanded over the past years, with two-way trade reaching over US$1.46 billion in 2023 and standing at over $620 million in the first four months of this year, up 10.6 percent year on year, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnamese investors have been investing in 241 projects worth about $5.5 billion in Laos, ranking third among the countries and territories channeling capital into the country, with which Vietnam set up diplomatic ties in 1962.

President Lam is scheduled to leave Vientiane for Cambodia on Friday for a state visit lasting through Saturday, at the invitation of Cambodian King Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni.     

Talking to the press on Wednesday, Deputy Minister Viet said that President Lam’s first foreign business trip to Laos and Cambodia has great significance, demonstrating an important message of the Party and state of Vietnam as well as the president himself. 

That means the Party and state of Vietnam always attach great importance and give the highest priority to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, as well as to the friendly neighborly relations and sustainable and all-round cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The trip is also a message affirming the solidarity and close bond between the three countries which have the geographical proximity and historical and cultural connections, Viet said, underscoring that the ruling parties of the three nations have a common origin: the Indochinese Communist Party.

“The visits to Laos and Cambodia will mark ‘a new development stage’ in the relations between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, creating new momentum for Vietnam to deepen its comprehensive cooperative relations with its two neighbors,” Deputy Minister Viet commented.

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