Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong held a meeting with her Lao counterpart Bounpone Bouttanavong on the sidelines of the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-141) in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 14.

The meeting between NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong and
her Lao counterpart Bounpone Bouttanavong on the sidelines of
the IPU-141 in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 14 (Photo: VNA) 

Voicing her delight at the stable development and reforms in Laos, Phong said Vietnam always treasures and wishes to bolster the two countries’ great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation in all aspects in an extensive, effective and substantive manner.

She also highlighted the flourishing friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese and Lao parliaments.

The Vietnamese official asked both sides to work more closely with each other to share information and experience in lawmaking, supervise the two governments’ implementation of cooperation programmes approved by their Party and State leaders, and discuss the reform of their NAs’ apparatus and operations. 

Regarding the Vietnam-assisted construction of the Lao NA’s headquarters, she hoped that the two sides will further coordinate to complete it on schedule.

Phong also thanked Laos for supporting Vietnam to successfully run for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

At the meeting, she noted Vietnam’s focus on the Mekong River’s water resources in the face of climate change, asking for Laos’ cooperation in the effective and sustainable use of the river’s resources.

On this occasion, she conveyed Vietnamese NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s invitation to Lao NA leaders to attend the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), scheduled to take place in Vietnam in August 2020.

For his part, the Lao NA Vice Chairman shared his counterpart’s view on the cooperation between the two countries and their parliaments, noting that bilateral relations have been increasingly tightened via mutual visits and meetings between their senior leaders.

He said the construction of the Lao NA’s headquarters is going ahead as planned and should be completed on schedule in 2020. He described the building as the pride of the Lao people, as well as of the relationship between the two parliaments and countries.

According to the Vice Chairman, Vietnam and Laos should coordinate closely and discuss an environmental cooperation project to help effectively use the Mekong River’s water resources and address climate change challenges.

Also on October 14, NA Vice Chairwoman Phong attended a plenary session of the IPU-141 and a banquet hosted by the Serbian parliament’s leaders.