On the afternoon of September 12, at the Reunification Hall, Comrade Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, met with Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith on the occasion of the Lao General Secretary and President and his wife's state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife.

Cherishing the special Vietnam-Laos relationship

At the meeting, Comrade Nguyen Van Nen warmly welcomed General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith to visit and work in Ho Chi Minh City; expressed his pleasure to meet the General Secretary and President of Laos again after his visit to Laos in May 2022. Comrade Nguyen Van Nen congratulated the great and important achievements that the Lao Party, State and people have achieved in various fields in the recent past, including political stability, economic development, maintained national defense and security, and expanded foreign relations, contributing to enhancing the position and prestige of Laos in the international arena.

The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee believes that under the leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party headed by Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, the Lao people and country will continue to gain even greater achievements, successfully achieve the goals set by the 11th Congress, prepare for and successfully organize the 12th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, and build a peaceful, independent, democratic, unified and prosperous Laos.

Comrade Nguyen Van Nen expressed his joy at the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos that has been constantly developing; at the same time, he affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City always strives to realize high-level agreements between leaders of the two Parties and two countries, promoting the cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general and between Ho Chi Minh City and Lao localities in particular to develop more and more strongly, especially in the fields of trade, tourism, investment, agriculture, human resource training, and cultural exchange.

The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee expressed his hope that the Lao General Secretary and President would continue to pay attention to and direct Lao ministries, branches and localities to strengthen cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City, bringing the cooperative relationship to develop more practically and effectively.

Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith congratulated Ho Chi Minh City on its important achievements in socio-economic development in recent times, especially in economic growth, ensuring social security, improving people's income and living standards; and believed that Ho Chi Minh City will continue to achieve even greater and more important achievements.

The Lao Party General Secretary and President emphasized that the Lao Party and State attach special importance to and give the highest priority to consolidating and enhancing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith highly appreciated the friendship and cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Lao localities in recent times, including cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the capital Vientiane; hoping that Ho Chi Minh City will continue to strengthen and promote cooperation with Lao ministries, branches and localities, and provide support and assistance to Lao provinces.

Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith said he will strengthen the direction of Lao ministries, branches and localities to closely coordinate with Ho Chi Minh City to effectively implement agreements between high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and two countries, strongly promote cooperation in all fields to achieve more substantial and greater results, actively contributing to the common achievements of the relationship between the two Parties, two States and people of Vietnam and Laos.

Grow to new heights

Earlier on the same day, in Ho Chi Minh City, Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith also had meetings with former President Nguyen Minh Triet and former President Truong Tan Sang.

At the meetings, the Lao General Secretary and President expressed his pleasure to meet former President Nguyen Minh Triet and former President Truong Tan Sang - close friends and comrades of the Lao Party, State and people. Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith thanked Comrade Nguyen Minh Triet and Comrade Truong Tan Sang for their great contributions to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos; recalled memories of his visits to Laos as well as his meetings with the two former Presidents and looked forward to welcoming them to Laos.

The Lao General Secretary and President affirmed that Laos will, together with Vietnam, continue to preserve, cultivate and pass on to future generations the fine traditions of the special Vietnam-Laos relationship...

Former President Nguyen Minh Triet and former President Truong Tan Sang expressed their joy at meeting again with Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, a close friend and comrade of the Party, State and people of Vietnam; highly appreciated the significance of the state visit of Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and congratulated the important achievements that Laos has made after nearly 40 years of renovation, with political stability, economic development, guaranteed national defense and security, and active foreign affairs, contributing to enhancing Laos' position in the region and the world.

Former President Nguyen Minh Triet and former President Truong Tan Sang expressed their belief that under the wise leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party led by General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, the Lao people and country will overcome all difficulties and continue to gain even greater achievements. The two former Presidents affirmed that the visit of the Lao General Secretary and President will contribute to further deepening the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos in the context that the two Parties and two countries are actively implementing the Resolution of each Party's Congress and preparing for the new National Party Congress.

The two former Presidents of Vietnam recalled the memories and affection that Lao high-ranking leaders and the Lao people have had for them up to now, expressing their hope and belief that the special solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Laos will increasingly develop to new heights...

As part of his state visit to Vietnam, on the afternoon of September 12, Lao General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, his wife and a high-ranking Lao delegation visited the historical site of Ben Nha Rong. The Lao General Secretary and President expressed his emotion when visiting the place where President Ho Chi Minh began his journey to find a way to save the Vietnamese people.

PEARL