(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam and Lao issued a Joint Statement on Tuesday at the end of the official friendship visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President Thongloun Sisoulith from June 28th to 29th.
 Vietnamese and Lao leaders witness the signing of bilateral cooperative agreements (Photo: VOV) |
During the visit, the Lao leader held talks with Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, met President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, visited the HCM National Academy of Politics, received delegations of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association, the Liaison Committee for former Vietnamese Volunteers and Experts in Laos, and laid a wreath at the Monument of War Martyrs and President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
The Joint Statement noted that the Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation are invaluable assets of the two nations and a factor to ensure the development of the two countries. The two Parties, States, and peoples are responsible for maintaining and fostering bilateral ties in all aspects. They affirmed their persistence with the goal of national independence and socialism, working closely, and supporting each other in national construction and development.
The two countries agreed to exchange information, promote consultation, work closely, support each other at international forums, especially within ASEAN, the ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms, the UN, the Greater Mekong Sub-region cooperation mechanisms, the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Europe Meeting, contribute to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, and strengthen coordination with Cambodia to implement the agreement on Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle until 2030 signed by the three Prime Ministers.
Both cited the importance of the East Sea and maintaining peace and stability, ensuring its security and safety of navigation and aviation, settling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means and in line with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, working with involved parties in fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon finalizing the Code of Conduct (COC). Vietnam and Laos reiterated their agreement with ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea which is stipulated in the ASEAN Declaration, the Joint Statement of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Outcomes of the 37th ASEAN Summit.