...
President Trần Đại Quang holds talks with Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith yesterday in Vientiane, Laos. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng
| 13 June 2016 The Vietnamese President’s visit to Laos will be followed by a two-day official visit to Cambodia with the aim of elevating the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, as well as the neighbourliness and cooperation with Cambodia to new heights.The visits have been organised at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni [at gunpoint].
VIENTIANE – President Trần Đại Quang yesterday held talks
with the Lao Party leader and President Bounnhang Vorachith right after
arriving in Vientiane for his three-day State visit to Laos.
The host said the Vietnamese
President’s selection of Laos for his first overseas trip after taking office
demonstrates the importance Việt Nam attaches to its relations with Laos.
He expressed his belief that
the visit would be a milestone in consolidating and further developing the
traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation
between the two Parties, States and peoples.
For his part, President Quang
expressed his delight at remarkable achievements the Lao Party, State and
people have attained over the recent past.
Congratulating the Lao side on
the successful 10th Lao Party Congress, he noted his belief that the Lao people
will fulfill all tasks and targets set at the congress to advance firmly on the
path towards socialism.
The two sides agreed to push
forward the implementation of agreements reached by leaders of the two
countries and outcomes of the 38th meeting of the inter-governmental committee
on Việt Nam-Laos co-operation, as well as the
co-operation plans between the two governments for 2016, the Việt
Nam-Lao co-operation treaty for 2016-20, the joint statement issued during the
recent Việt Nam visit by Party General Secretary and
President Bounnhang Vorachith, along with the outcomes of the Việt
Nam visit by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and the Laos visit by the
Vietnamese President.
The two leaders also reached a
consensus on continuing delegation exchanges, maximising the operation of
bilateral cooperative mechanisms, and enhancing co-operation efficiency across
all fields.
They renewed the resolve to
carry out the protocol on bilateral defence and security cooperation for
2016-20, the protocol on border and border markers and the agreement on border
and border gate management regulations signed early this year, and the new
agreements on trade and border trade between the two countries.
The two leaders shared the view
that the regional and world situation is seeing many complicated developments
and agreed that the two countries should keep a close watch on the situation
and maintain discussions to help each other ensure security and stability in
their respective countries.
They affirmed that the two
countries will coordinate closely at international and regional forums such as
the United Nations, the ASEAN and sub-regional mechanisms.
President Quang pledged Việt
Nam’s active and full support of Laos as Chair of the ASEAN.
The two sides reiterated the
intention to coordinate closely to strengthen solidarity among the ASEAN,
elevating the bloc’s central role in the regional security structure.
They underlined the importance
of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety in the East Sea, and vowed
to work together with other ASEAN countries for the peaceful settlement of
disputes in the East Sea based on international law, the full and effective
observance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)
and the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea for the sake of
peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world as a
whole.
The two leaders also agreed to
promote coordination with each other and with other countries and international
organisations for the sustainable and effective management and use of water
resource in the Mekong River.
On the occasion of the visit,
the Vietnamese President presented Sekong Province of Laos a school worth US$1
million.
Việt
Nam and Laos boast a fruitful traditional relationship, which was fostered by
Presidents Hồ Chí Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane, and has been
nurtured by generations of the two countries’ Party and State leaders and
people.
Politically, the two sides
regularly conducted high-level meetings for their Party, State, National
Assembly and Government leaders, and exchanges between their localities.
The latest visits to Việt
Nam were made by Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounhang Vorachith
in April 2016 and Lao Prime Minister Thoongloun Sisoulith a month later.
Permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC)’s
Secretariat Đinh Thế Huynh, head of the CPVCC’s Inspection Commission
Trần Quốc Vượng
and Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Đinh La Thăng also visited Laos
earlier in the year.
Besides, the bilateral economic
cooperation has made big strides in recent years, creating a material
foundation to consolidate the special ties between the two countries.
Vietnamese businesses have, to
date, invested nearly $5 billion in 258 projects in Laos, mainly focusing on
hydropower, mining, transport and industrial tree planting.
The two sides have also paid
heed to collaboration in education-training and human resource development.
At present, close to 9,300 Lao
officials and students are studying in Việt Nam while 425
Vietnamese students are learning in the neighbouring country.
Co-operation between localities
sharing the border have also received due attention, which has been evidenced
through the formation of economic and commercial zones at international and
national border gates, the signing of a border trade agreement in June last
year and the launch of the “one-stop-shop” customs model at the Lao Bảo
-Densavan international border gate.
The security-defence
co-operation has been maintained at a high level of trust. The two sides
completed the project on increasing and upgrading the border marker system.
They also signed two important
legal documents, namely the Protocol on Borderline and Border Markers and the
Agreement on Regulations on the Management of Border and Border Gates on Land
between the two governments.
The completion of the border
marker system has contributed to improving the quality of the Việt
Nam-Laos borderline, both legally and in reality.
The two sides are continuing
the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and
experts who died in Laos.
In order to develop the Việt
Nam-Laos traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive
cooperation intensively and effectively, senior leaders of the two countries
committed to ceaselessly fostering and promoting the relationship and
passing on it to younger generations.
The Vietnamese President’s
visit to Laos will be followed by a two-day official visit to Cambodia with the
aim of elevating the traditional friendship, special solidarity and
comprehensive cooperation, as well as the neighbourliness and cooperation with
Cambodia to new heights.
The visits have been organised
at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni [at gunpoint]. — VNS
No comments:
Post a Comment