VIENTIANE, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Laos and Vietnam agreed to work together to further enhance friendly relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.
President of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, was in Laos from Monday to Tuesday for an official visit at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith.
A bilateral meeting between the two top leaders was held on Monday to deepen comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, Lao News Agency reported on Wednesday.
During their talks, both sides briefed each other about the socio-economic development in their respective countries and shared a common point of view that the political relations between the two countries have continued to be stable and increasingly closely knit, bringing about high mutual trust between the two neighbors.
Both sides highly valued the time-honored friendly relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, and peoples. This has been reflected in strengthened and expanding cooperation in areas such as politics, trade and economics.
Laos and Vietnam have made joint efforts to facilitate investment, trade and transport between the two countries and recorded greater-than-expected achievements, with bilateral trade reaching 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, a rise of 10 percent year-on-year.
Both sides also discussed cooperation directions for years to come and agreed to continue implementing the agreements reached by senior leaders of the two countries.
The two sides pledged to continue to extend mutual support to one another through bilateral and multilateral frameworks in the regional and international arenas.
Both sides expressed their commitment to nurturing, protecting and deepening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, which is blossoming at the top level. ■