HCMC — Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam arrived in Vientiane today, December 1, for a state visit to Laos at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
To Lam will attend events marking the 50th anniversary of Laos’ National Day and co-chair a high-level meeting between the two ruling parties on December 1–2. This is his first state visit to Laos since taking office and the first Vietnam–Laos Politburo meeting held in Vientiane in nearly eight years.
His visit to Laos comes at a significant moment – the final year of the current Party Central Committee term, as both the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party prepare for their respective congresses in early 2026.
An official welcome ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace. During the trip, To Lam is expected to meet Thongloun, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane.
During the visit, To Lam was awarded the Gold National Order of Laos, the country’s highest honor, by Sisoulith. The award recognized his contributions to strengthening the “great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation” between the two parties, states, and peoples of Vietnam and Laos.
Speaking at the ceremony, To Lam expressed his pride and gratitude and acknowledged the legacy of President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane, and President Souphanouvong in laying the foundation for the enduring Vietnam–Laos relationship. He pledged to continue working with Vietnamese and Lao leaders to nurture and expand the bilateral partnership.
After talks on December 1, the two countries signed several cooperation documents. These include 2026 cooperation plans between the public security ministries and the defense ministries, an agreement to build a command center for the Lao Ministry of Public Security, and a memorandum on strategic infrastructure development between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and Laos’ Ministry of National Defense.
The two sides also signed cooperation agreements between their foreign ministries and justice ministries for 2026–2030, a memorandum on banking cooperation, and an agreement to develop industrial supply chains. Other documents signed include cooperation agreements between Vietnam Television and the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s Central Committee, between the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and the Lao Party’s external relations department, and between Thanh Hoa Province and Houaphanh Province. Danang City and Sekong Province also signed a memorandum on socio-economic and border defense cooperation.
Vietnam and Laos established diplomatic ties in 1962 and upgraded their relationship in 2019. The two countries maintain close political and security cooperation. They have expanded economic cooperation in recent years, with two-way trade reaching nearly US$2.5 billion in the first ten months of 2025, up 50.4% from a year earlier.
Vietnam has 274 investment projects in Laos with total registered capital of more than US$5.8 billion. Infrastructure projects connecting the two economies have been put into use, along with cooperation programs in education, culture, agriculture, and human resources.
The visit is expected to deepen bilateral ties and set directions for future cooperation.
