General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi this morning for a state visit to Laos. The visit, scheduled for 1-2/12, includes attending the 50th anniversary celebration of Lao National Day and co-chairing a high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, according to TTXVN.

The delegation accompanying General Secretary To Lam includes Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang, Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, and other high-ranking officials.

General Secretary To Lam and his spouse depart from Hanoi for Laos this morning. Photo: TTXVN

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong stated that this visit is one of Vietnam's particularly important foreign affairs activities in 2025 and General Secretary To Lam's first state visit to Laos in his new capacity. Deputy Minister Cuong assessed that the visit will leave a strong mark on the prosperous development of both countries, create significant breakthroughs in cooperative relations, and contribute positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and worldwide.

Vietnam and Laos established diplomatic relations on 5/9/1962. In 2/2019, the two sides agreed to upgrade their relationship from "traditional friendly relations" to "great friendship". This enduring partnership is reflected in growing economic ties.

The trade turnover between the two countries for the first 10 months of 2025 reached nearly 2.5 billion USD, marking a 50.4% increase compared to 2024. This made Vietnam Laos's third largest trade partner, with a goal of 5 billion USD and an aspiration to reach 10 billion USD in the near future. Regarding investment, Vietnam currently has 274 investment projects in Laos with a total registered capital of over 5.8 billion USD.

Ngoc Anh