Speaking at the meeting, Dong Van Thanh expressed his pleasure in welcoming the Champasak delegation. He also congratulated Champasak Province on the successful election of the fifth-term People's Council, the completion of the provincial People's Council's organizational restructuring, and Alounxay Sounnalath on his election as Chairman of the Champasak People's Council.

Overview of the meeting. (Photo: HV)

Dong Van Thanh affirmed that the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos provide a solid foundation for strengthening cooperation between localities in both countries. Based on this relationship, ties between Can Tho and Champasak have continued to grow through delegation exchanges, experience sharing, and joint efforts to develop a Memorandum of Understanding for the 2026-2030 period.

He highly appreciated the outcomes of Can Tho leaders' working visit to Champasak and several other Lao localities in May 2026, while expressing sincere gratitude for the warm and thoughtful reception provided by Champasak authorities. He expressed confidence that the agreements reached by both sides would soon be effectively implemented, further deepening cooperation between the two localities.

Can Tho leaders pose for a commemorative photo with the Champasak People's Council delegation. (Photo: HV)

Providing an update on Can Tho's development, Dong Van Thanh said that following the reorganization of administrative units and the implementation of a two-tier local government model, the city has entered a new phase of development. The newly expanded city covers approximately 6,360 square kilometers with a population of around 4.2 million, formed through the merger of Can Tho City, Soc Trang Province, and Hau Giang Province. The city continues to serve as the growth engine of the Mekong Delta, creating greater opportunities for cooperation with domestic and international partners.

During the first six months of 2026, Can Tho maintained positive socio-economic growth, with its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) estimated to increase by 7.4-7.6 percent. The city's economic structure continued shifting toward a larger share of trade and services, industry, and high-tech agriculture. Progress was also made in culture, education, healthcare, and social welfare, while national defense and security remained stable. Administrative reform, digital transformation, and efforts to improve the effectiveness of elected bodies also continued to advance.

Dong Van Thanh (left) presents a commemorative gift to Alounxay Sounnalath. (Photo: HV)

According to Dong Van Thanh, the Champasak delegation's visit provides an opportunity for both sides to exchange experience in the operation of elected bodies, share information on socio-economic development, and expand cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, education and training, and cultural exchanges, thereby contributing to strengthening the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

On behalf of the delegation, Alounxay Sounnalath thanked Can Tho leaders for their warm hospitality and praised the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, describing it as a priceless asset that should continue to be preserved and promoted.

He noted that since establishing cooperative relations in 2011, Champasak Province and Can Tho have maintained regular high-level delegation exchanges and successfully implemented numerous cooperation programs in politics, economy and trade, education, healthcare, culture, human resource development, and people-to-people exchanges, helping deepen relations between the two localities.

Congratulating Can Tho on its achievements in socio-economic development and urban construction, Alounxay Sounnalath also provided an overview of Champasak's development, highlighting encouraging progress in economic growth, political stability, national defense and security, and improvements in people's living standards.

Recognizing Can Tho's support for Champasak over the years, he proposed that both sides promptly finalize preparations to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the 2026-2030 period. He also suggested strengthening education on the Vietnam-Laos tradition of friendship for younger generations, sharing experience in developing model communes and wards, and jointly organizing activities to commemorate major milestones in bilateral relations leading up to 2027.

In addition, both localities are expected to further expand cooperation in promising areas such as green agriculture, science and technology applications, ecotourism, logistics, transportation, trade, industry, green energy, and human resource development. They also aim to enhance people-to-people exchanges, maximize each locality's strengths, and continue fostering the special Vietnam-Laos friendship in a sustainable manner.