During January 26-27, 2026, Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and his spouse paid a State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and his spouse.

The visit took place shortly after the successful conclusion of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, reflecting the close and special bond between the two fraternal Parties. It also reaffirmed the consistent foreign policy line of both Vietnam and Laos: always giving the highest priority to each other while continuously nurturing and developing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connectivity between the two countries.

This special relationship was succinctly captured by General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith in four words of “sentiment”: comradeship, brotherhood, solidarity and friendship.

High-level engagements deepen political trust

On the morning of January 26, General Secretary To Lam presided over the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith.

Sharing views on the significance of the visit, Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh stressed that the visit carries a particularly profound and important meaning.

According to Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh, the visit represents the most vivid and compelling expression of the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connectivity between Laos and Vietnam, a relationship that is exemplary, faithful and rare in international relations.

He noted that the visit not only conveys congratulations on the major successes of Vietnam’s 14th National Party Congress, but also demonstrates a high level of political trust and a long-term strategic commitment between the two Parties, States and peoples.

Choosing Vietnam as the first destination following the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party earlier this year, he said, underscores that Laos consistently places its relationship with Vietnam as the top priority in its foreign policy.

The ambassador expressed confidence that the State visit would help strengthen bilateral cooperation, enrich the new substance of “strategic connectivity,” and generate fresh momentum for both sides to effectively implement high-level agreements and pursue development goals in the new period.

Elevating trade cooperation

Affirming that the visit will further tighten Vietnam-Laos ties in the new stage, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam said the visit provides an opportunity for top leaders of both Parties to exchange views and agree on key measures to create breakthroughs, bringing bilateral cooperation deeper, more practical and more effective.

The visit, he added, will open up new cooperation opportunities, contribute to sustainable development and improved living standards for the two peoples, and help elevate Vietnam-Laos relations to a new height for peace, stability and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

Providing further details on trade cooperation, Tran Thi Tu Anh, Commercial Counselor of the Vietnam Trade Office in Laos, said bilateral trade has continued to set new records.

In 2024, Vietnam-Laos trade surpassed USD 2 billion for the first time, reaching a record USD 2.2 billion. In 2025, two-way trade rose to USD 2.98 billion, up 32.7% compared with 2024 underscoring the shared determination to promote substantive and sustainable trade growth.

Vietnam’s main exports to Laos include chemical products, machinery and equipment, iron and steel products, animal feed and raw materials, fertilizers, plastic products, paper and paper products, electric wires and cables, ceramics, clinker and cement, confectionery and cereal-based products, and coffee. Meanwhile, Vietnam imports from Laos items such as coal, fertilizers, vegetables and fruits, and base metals.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Laos, at the 48th Meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee held in early December 2025, the two sides agreed on orientations with the core objective of making “economic, trade and investment cooperation a pillar of the new strategic connectivity,” opening a new chapter in the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connectivity between the two countries.

To realize the goals set by senior leaders of both Parties and States, and to boost bilateral trade growth, the Trade Office recommended stronger coordination among ministries, sectors and localities, alongside greater engagement from the business communities of both countries.

Enterprises were also encouraged to make full use of tax and fee incentives under signed trade agreements, thereby promoting more substantive trade development, creating jobs, improving incomes and livelihoods, and contributing to a peaceful, friendly, stable and sustainably developing Vietnam-Laos border.

Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam further suggested that the two governments and relevant agencies continue reviewing and improving legal frameworks to facilitate two-way trade growth; accelerate transport infrastructure connectivity; and soon materialize key transport projects to meet enterprises’ logistics needs.

He also called for more practical and effective trade promotion activities, not only in the capitals but also expanded to localities in both countries, to enhance the presence of each other’s goods and strengthen media promotion.

With these measures and the fresh momentum generated by the State visit of the Lao Party General Secretary and President, Vietnam-Laos trade cooperation is expected to achieve stronger results, meeting the expectations of both Parties, States and peoples toward the shared goal of USD 10 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.