(VOVWORLD) -The official welcoming ceremony for Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, his wife, and the high-level delegation of the Lao Party and State on their state visit to Vietnam was held solemnly at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi according to the highest protocol reserved for heads of state. Party General Secretary To Lam and his wife presided over the welcoming ceremony.
 Scene of the talks. Photo: VOV
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Following the official welcoming ceremony, the two leaders held talks on solutions to elevate bilateral relations to a new level in the coming time. In his opening remarks, General Secretary Lam said, “We appreciate that Vietnam is the first country that Mr. Thoonglun Sisulith visited in his capacity as General Secretary and President of Laos shortly after the successful conclusion of each Party's new term Congress. He is also the first foreign leader we welcomed shortly after the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This demonstrates the profound respect that the Lao Party and State, and the General Secretary and President of Laos personally, have for Vietnam, and also reflects the special nature of the relationship between Vietnam and Laos.”
“We believe the visit further demonstrates and affirms the determination of the leaders and people of both countries to preserve and promote the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic linkage between Vietnam and Laos.” Mr. Lam added.
On behalf of the Party, State, and people of Laos, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith extended congratulations on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and congratulated Mr. To Lam on being re-elected by the Congress as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam for the 14th term.
The two leaders agreed to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation, striving to achieve a trade turnover of 10 billion USD. They pledged to enhance the quality and effectiveness of cooperation in education and training, human resource development, especially high-quality human resources. Both sides stressed the need to study the possibility of applying new training models and to raise awareness of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos.
The two leaders agreed to make efforts to boost cooperation in culture, tourism, science and technology based on maximizing the potential, strengths, and complementarity of each country. Both also agreed on expanding cooperation in telecommunications, e-government, and digital transformation. They pledged to consult closely, coordinate effectively, and support each other on global and regional issues, as well as at multilateral forums.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the two countries.