Laos-Vietnam special solidarity becomes priceless legacy
This report marks Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2017,
celebrates the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and
40th anniversary of the signing of the Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

Laos-Vietnams relations have been marked by an unalloyed solidarity that is rare around the globe. The rare relationship has become a priceless legacy of the two nations.
This year 2017 has been celebrated by Laos and Vietnam as the solidarity and friendship year since January. There have been visits by high ranking officials of the two countries to consolidate the special solidarity and to enhance relations and cooperation in order to march forward together. 
Party Secretary General and President of Laos, Mr Bounnhang Vorachit, and high-ranking officials will pay an official goodwill visit to Vietnam from December 19-21 following an invitation from the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, and Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang.
The aim of the visit by high ranking delegates of the Lao PDR is to attend the closing ceremony of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2017.
Recently, the Lao Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Saleumxay Kommasith, and high ranking delegates attended the annual consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries. The two sides discussed many topics related to bilateral cooperation.
According to Vietnam News, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, attended the meeting and said his country always gives top priority to special solidarity with Laos. While in Vietnam, Mr Saleumxay met Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and briefed him on the outcomes of his working visit. He said the two ministries had reviewed agreements signed between leaders of the two Parties, States, ministries, sectors and localities. He stressed that the two sides had acknowledged existing problems in bilateral cooperation and agreed on solutions to these problems.
The traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries have been cherished by generations of leaders of the Parties, States and the two nations. The rare relationship of the two nations has deepened and expanded after they established diplomatic relations on September 5, 1962 and officially signed the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty on July 18, 1977.
The new generation leaders of the Parties, States and the two nations have recognised the achievements of cooperation in the old and new eras. On April 26, the prime ministers of the two countries launched the Lao-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year in Vientiane.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said on the occasion that the launch of the Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year declared to the world the importance of the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. He said bilateral relations have been growing since the establishment of diplomatic ties and the signing of the treaty in 1977, and the ties have been fruitful as they brought practical benefits for the people. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc described the Solidarity and Friendship Year as a milestone marking a great stride in the special solidarity of the two countries.  
Over the past 55 years, the two countries have accepted that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation have been deepened and expanded in all aspects. The achievements of cooperation between the two countries are a priceless asset created by generations of Lao and Vietnamese leaders and people. The accomplishments of the two countries have brought practical benefits to the people of the two countries, especially in the new era, which was the era of national construction and defence from 1975 till the present.
After the two countries were freed from foreign aggressors in 1975, they faced the difficulties of a socio-economic crisis. The two Parties and States began to implement the renovation policy in 1986, and they held consultations on policy directions and various views for comprehensive renewal in both countries, especially through economic renovation.
The two Parties and States exchanged useful lessons in supporting each other and the assistance for each side has been put into practice. Since then, the two countries have been working together and supporting each other on the path to renewal. Comprehensive cooperation has brought many positive results to both countries; it has contributed greatly to their cause of national protection and the laying of the initial foundation for the socialist-oriented market economy, and continuously improved the people’s living standards.
In the context of the achievements made in implementing the renewal process and the quickly changing situation in the region and the world, Laos and Vietnam have set up a mechanism of cooperation to help raise overall efficiency and ensure mutual benefits on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two countries have maintained a working mechanism among the top ranking leaders of their Party, State and National Assembly respectively through official friendship visits, working visits and exchanges of internal visits. Also, at the ministry and provincial levels of the two countries, they have exchanged visits. 
The two countries have established the intergovernmental committee as a mechanism to put into practice the directions of the high ranking leaders and concretise the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries by designing contents of cooperation for each phase, each period and every year. The intergovernmental committee has conducted annual sessions in each country.
Looking back many hundreds of years to today, we can be proud of the great efforts of several generations in developing, nurturing and cultivating the special Laos-Vietnam relationship. The new generation should keep on consolidating the traditional friendship because the special solidarity and good relations between the two countries is a model for the world. The new generation should keep on cherishing this friendship so that it remains forever green and forever sustainable.

ByPhon Thikeo
(Latest Update December 16, 2017 )