National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Doan Anh met with Lao NA Vice President Sounthone Xayachack and First Vice President of the Cambodian NA Cheam Yeap on November 14, on the sidelines of the 15th ASEAN- AIPA Leaders’ Interface in the Philippines.
At the meeting with Sounthone Xayachack, Doan Anh spoke highly of the significance of the official visit to Vietnam by Lao NA President Sonexay Siphandone from November 2-5, and called on the two sides to closely coordinate to promptly translate the visit’s outcomes as well as agreements reached by the two top legislators into concrete actions.
Sounthone Xayachack praised Vietnam’s economic growth, noting that Vietnamese investment in transport connectivity and agricultural projects had made important contributions to Laos’ socio-economic development. She expressed her hope that the two sides would effectively implement key cooperation projects.
She proposed that the two legislatures strengthen cooperation in training and capacity building for newly elected deputies. In her capacity as President of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association and Chairwoman of the Laos-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, Sounthone Xayachack noted her desire to further contribute to promoting bilateral relations.
The two sides agreed to promote substantive and effective parliamentary cooperation, contributing to stronger strategic ties between Vietnam and Laos, and to review and update the cooperation agreement between the two legislatures, signed in May 2022, for consideration and signing in 2027.
Accordingly, the two legislatures will step up exchanges of delegations at all levels and promote cooperation between their respective committees, parliamentary friendship groups, young parliamentarians’ groups, women parliamentarians’ groups and local-level People’s Councils.
They will also strengthen experience-sharing in institutional improvement, local government organisation and parliamentary digital transformation, and coordinate in overseeing key cooperation projects.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and mutual support at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF).
As the two countries will celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 2027, they agreed to coordinate in organising commemorative activities, further deepening the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos.
Meanwhile, Cheam Yeap said regular exchanges between the Vietnamese and Cambodian legislatures helped strengthen trust and expand cooperation. He proposed translating the outcomes of high-level meetings into concrete actions through NA committees, parliamentary friendship groups and supporting agencies, while stepping up experience-sharing in lawmaking, budget oversight, supervision of law enforcement and the development of an e-parliament.
Cheam Yeap expressed support for boosting trade, investment and economic connectivity, and removing legal and procedural barriers to cross-border goods flows. He also called for continued efforts to build a shared border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and strengthen cooperation in combating transnational crime and protecting the water resources of the Mekong River.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the important and substantive progress in bilateral relations, particularly cooperation between the two legislatures. They agreed to maintain all-level contacts, both bilaterally and on the sidelines of multilateral forums; continue close coordination and mutual support at AIPA and the IPU, contributing to ASEAN solidarity and centrality; and work towards the early signing of a new cooperation agreement between the two legislatures.
The two sides also discussed ways to promote comprehensive cooperation, including in defence and security, and strengthen coordination in combating cross-border crime, particularly drug trafficking, human trafficking and online fraud. They agreed to soon finalise the scheme on a “new economic cooperation mechanism to strengthen linkages between the Vietnamese and Cambodian economies”, with a target of raising bilateral trade to 20 billion USD, and advance the development of a connecting point for the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai-Bavet-Phnom Penh expressway.
As the two countries will mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027, they agreed to coordinate in organising commemorative activities, including exchanges among young parliamentarians, women parliamentarians and parliamentary friendship groups./.
