Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian PMs seek measures to promote ties

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had a working breakfast with his Lao and Cambodian counterparts in Vientiane on Wednesday. VNA/VNS

VIENTIANE - Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has led a senior meeting with counterparts to discuss regional cooperation.

The Prime Minister had a working breakfast with Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone and Cambodian Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, in Vientiane on Wednesday to review, evaluate, and promote cooperation among the three countries.

At the event, held while they were there to attend the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, the three PMs highlighted the tradition of solidarity, close bonds and mutual support among the countries, describing it as a valuable asset, a foundation for development of their cooperative relations and mutual trust and a key factor in promoting solidarity and ties among them.

They agreed that many tripartite cooperation mechanisms have been formed and implemented effectively, practically contributing to the reinforcement of relations among the three countries.

Defence-security remains an important pillar in the Việt Nam-Lao-Cambodia partnership, they said, adding that economy-trade-investment collaboration has recorded strong progress. At the same time, people-to-people exchange programmes have been diverse, while cooperation through the Party channel has played the core role, guiding the growth of ties among the three countries.

The three PMs concurred to coordinate together to successfully organise a meeting for the leaders of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the Cambodian People’s Party in the coming time, while working together in ensuring national security, promoting national construction and development in each country, maintaining regular bilateral and tripartite meetings at high and all levels across all levels, and increasing exchanges among young leaders and the youth of the three countries.

They held that economic and trade cooperation among Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia needs to have strategic breakthroughs to match the stature of their political ties and the potential and strengths of each country.

The leaders agreed to partner up to strengthen cooperation to ensure security, safety and order in the border areas, especially that among the three countries, while promoting development cooperation along the border, focusing on optimising the efficiency of the land border gate system, strengthening connectivity of infrastructure, transport and economic links among the three economies, creating best conditions for exchange and cooperation in all fields among the three countries in general and among border localities in particular.

Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia will maintain the principle of not allowing hostile forces to use the territory of one country to harm the security of the others, they pledged, and agreed to well organise the annual meeting among the three countries' defence ministers and the Cambodia-Laos-Việt Nam Ministerial Conference on crime prevention and suppression.

The PMs concurred to seek solutions for expanding bilateral and tripartite cooperation mechanisms in a more effective and substantive manner for the interest of the people of the three countries and the whole ASEAN Community, continuing to make contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

PM Chính took the occasion to thank the Lao and Cambodian governments and ask for their continued support to the community of people of the Vietnamese origin in their countries to settle down and integrate into the host society, making positive contributions to the growth of Laos and Cambodia as well as the ties among the three countries.

The three PMs vowed to continue to support each other at international forums, especially ASEAN and the UN and support Cambodia to successfully host the 20th Francophonie Summit in 2026.