Vice Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on July 7 received newly-appointed Lao ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong (R) receives
newly-appointed Lao ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang
(Photo: https://www.sggp.org.vn/) 

During the reception, the Vietnamese official highlighted the fruitful development of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries across all fields.

He briefed the guest on HCM City’s socio-economic development and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city, expressing his hope that after the recent talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith in Hanoi, HCM City will soon be able to resume cooperation with Lao localities after the two countries successfully control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phong said HCM City will implement more cooperative programmes with Lao localities, including a project to improve the quality of beef cattle herds in Vientiane, and organising a trade and tourism fair.

The city’s Department of Foreign Affairs is also preparing cooperation programmes with Laos in the 2021-2025, especially with its twinned localities, such as Champasak and Vientiane, he added.

Phong said he hopes in his term in Vietnam, the Lao diplomat will do his utmost to further strengthen the long-lasting relationship between the two countries.

For his part, the Lao ambassador expressed his joy at the two countries’ success in controlling the pandemic, and informed the guest that the two countries are continuing to implement cooperation programmes within the framework of the Laos-Vietnam Inter-governmental Committee, including joint efforts to respond to COVID-19 and re-open border gates and flights between the two nations as soon as possible.

The same day, the HCM City leader also hosted a reception for outgoing Hungarian Consul General in HCM City Baloghdi Tibor, during which he praised the guest for his contributions to promoting cooperation between the Vietnamese locality and Hungary in terms of trade, investment, education.

Phong expressed his hope that the two sides will further expand cooperation in the fields of health, education, water treatment, culture, and people-to-people exchange.