"Dear comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic,
Dear leaders of the Lao Party and State, comrades in the Vietnamese delegation,
Dear teachers, staff, and students of the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration,
Dear friends of Laos and Vietnam,
I and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation were very happy and moved to return to the beautiful brotherly country of Laos; visited, met and spoke at the National Academy of Politics and Public Administration of Laos.
I would like to sincerely thank General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and the leaders of the Lao Party and State for their thoughtful, warm and affectionate reception for us, comrades and brothers.
On the occasion of the solemn anniversary of the 50th National Day of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, on behalf of the Party, State and People of Vietnam, I would like to send my warmest congratulations to the Party, State and People of all Lao ethnic groups.
We are extremely happy, excited and proud of the great and historic achievements that the brotherly country of Laos has achieved during the 50 years of building and developing the People's Democratic State.
I warmly congratulate the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. With a history of 30 years of establishment and development, the Academy has become a cradle for training, fostering theory, politics and administration for many leaders and managers in the apparatus of the Lao Party and State, who shoulder the responsibility in the cause of building, protecting and developing Laos.
The topic I discuss with you today is: Inheriting the great friendship, fostering special solidarity, strengthening comprehensive cooperation and promoting strategic solidarity between Vietnam and Laos in the new period.
Dear comrades and friends,
I- Geography, history and the same vision, common aspiration of the two peoples
Vietnam and Laos are two neighboring countries with the same vision, common aspiration, common space for survival and development. Geography is the starting point of natural connection, a place where "every night the fire goes out", a place where everyone can hear the rooster crowing, a bowl of rice, and salt.
For centuries, the people of the two countries have gone through great challenges in history, faced the harshness of nature to survive, were encroached upon by colonialism and imperialists, were divided, held back, oppressed, faced the pressure of survival or solidarity to win or were defeated one by one.
And the very special thing, very special thing is that the Indochinese Communist Party was born at the end of 1930 to lead the revolutionary movement in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
In that situation, special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is the only right choice, a necessary historical and strategic must for survival. The two peoples realized that: "To survive and develop, we must stand together".
On the majestic Truong Son range, the people of the two countries, military units, police of Laos and Vietnam supported each other, protected each other to fight and win.
The strategic road through Truong Son, winding through the two countries, is a way of life, a victorious road, a symbol of a close, close-knit, and mutually trusting fighting alliance.
It can be said that during the resistance wars against colonialism and imperialism, Vietnam would have had a hard time winning without the support, foothold, and strategic coordination of Laos.
The Lao revolution could hardly have won without the great, comprehensive, and carefree support of Vietnam. It is a natural fighting alliance, a " strategic coffin" in international relations. The blood of Vietnamese and Lao people stood in the flags of victory of the two countries.
Therefore, the Vietnam - Laos relationship was nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Pvihane, President Souphanouvong and generations of leaders of the two Parties and States, becoming a special, pure, loyal relationship rare in history, an invaluable common asset of the two brotherly peoples of Vietnam and Laos.
II- Great friendship, special solidarity - strategic bond
Through the practical revolutionary struggle, we can proudly affirm that "great friendship, special solidarity, purity, loyalty, comprehensive cooperation, strategic solidarity" are crystallized from the history of the revolutionary struggle full of sacrifice, sharing, together overcoming dangers, hardships and challenges.
" Vi Dai" because that is the love that was forged through the biggest challenge: War, loss, blood and bones.
"Special" because it is the pure solidarity of those who share the will, the fight, the share the benefits with the mindset: "Helping you is helping yourself", "your victory is your victory".
"In the morning" for the two Parties and two States, the interests of the revolutionary cause, national liberation and national construction are always given top priority and are a prerequisite for resolving bilateral issues.
One thing that needs to be affirmed is: Solidarity and close glue is the source of the Vietnam - Laos relationship. Without that connecting source, we would be just two neighboring countries "standing next to each other".
With the "unity" bond, we become two peoples "standing together", "playing side by side" in the development stages.
III- From cooperation to cohesion: New requirements of the times
Dear comrades, friends,
The world is changing rapidly: Fourth Industrial Revolution; shifting supply chains; strategic competition between major countries; non-traditional security issues such as climate change, epidemics, energy crises, finance.
In that context, if we only "cooperate", it will not be enough, we must raise the level of cooperation to "connection" because of strategic cohesion, with overall design, role sharing, and complementarity.
I would like to emphasize three areas of connection:
(1) Bilateral linkage: Vietnam - Laos need to link strategically in terms of development vision; linking space and infrastructure, economic corridors, logistics, energy, green transformation, digital transformation.
(2) Sub-regional connectivity, especially the three Indochinese countries. The closer the Vietnam - Laos relationship is, the more sustainable the solidarity of the three Indochinese countries will be, the more united the three Indochinese countries will be, the more unified and strong ASEAN will be.
(3) Regional and international connectivity: Vietnam and Laos are both in ASEAN, participating in many sub-regional, regional and international cooperation mechanisms, so we need to promote mutual complementary strengths, we not only strengthen ourselves, but also contribute to making ASEAN stronger, the Southeast Asian region more stable and developed.
Thus, the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is not only the property of the two peoples, but also a stable pillar for the entire Mekong sub-region, for ASEAN, for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
IV- Strategic platforms that need to continue to be inherited and developed
To inherit the great friendship, foster special solidarity, strengthen comprehensive cooperation and promote Vietnam - Laos strategic cohesion in the new period, in my opinion, we need to be steadfast in some strategic foundations.
First: Determining the goal of national independence associated with socialism:
Both Parties have chosen the path of national independence associated with socialism; building a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, for the people; developing a socialist-oriented market economy; the people are the center, the subject, the goal, the driving force of development, the people are the top and first of all.
In the context of the world having many different trends, models, and teachings, Vietnam and Laos need to share, discuss, supplement, and clarify the path that we have chosen based on the vivid practice of each country. Let's share the successes and lessons learned when applying and creatively applying theory to practice.
We will increase exchanges on the work of building a clean and strong Party; preventing and combating corruption, waste and negativity; innovating the growth model; developing governance, risk management, and resource management.
Second: Together build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation for mutual development.
The Vietnam - Laos border has been identified and marked. However, the border between the two countries needs to become a bridge of friendship, a bridge between the two countries' communities, a bridge between economic corridors, a bridge between green, sustainable development spaces in harmony with nature.
The goal of building a peaceful, friendly, stable, and cooperative border for development is both a security and defense requirement and an opportunity for socio-economic development of the two countries.
Here, solidarity is especially a "soft shield" but extremely sustainable: When strategic trust is firm, all plots of division, attraction, and exploitation fail.
When the people on both sides of the border consider each other as comrades, brothers, friends, and trustworthy partners, the border becomes a cooperation belt, a development belt, a bond that strengthens solidarity.
Third: Supplementing and supporting each other in terms of resources, resources and development space
With a development vision, we see: Laos has the advantage of a central location on land, great potential for natural resources, green development space; Vietnam has the advantage of a long coastline, a wide gateway to the sea of the Mekong sub-region, a strong labor force, a diverse economy, deep integration with the region and the world.
If we only develop each country individually, we will narrow our own development space. However, if resources are supplemented and linked, many common advantages will be formed, optimizing resources to serve rapid and sustainable development.
Lao goods and passengers can go to sea faster through Vietnam's seaports and border gates; Laos' renewable energy and power sources can connect to the regional grid through Vietnam; East-West and North-South economic corridors can become strategic linkages, expanding development space for both countries.
Here, not only specific projects and works, but the core issue is that the two countries must jointly design a " strategic map" of development space, closely linking planning, strategies, and socio-economic development plans of each side.
(In the period of 2021 - 2025, Vietnam has helped Laos implement 25 projects with a grant capital of about 4,000 billion VND, including 6 projects on education - training; 3 projects in the health sector; 4 projects on science and technology; 6 projects in other fields. In Laos, there are 276 projects with a registered capital of more than 6 billion USD).
V- Connecting in intelligence, theory and human resource training
Dear comrades, friends,
We are in the place of training and fostering a team of administrative cadres, civil servants, and those who " handle" the national governance system. For the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration and Vietnamese training institutions, I would like to emphasize the factor of solidarity in terms of intelligence, theory and human resources.
First: Connecting in theory and administrative science: The world is changing, the state governance model is also changing, the state must be more flexible, more transparent, more digitalized; must both create development and ensure social justice; must both maintain political stability and promote innovation.
In that context, Vietnam and Laos need to share more deeply the experience of building and perfecting a socialist rule of law state, experience in administrative reform, organizational apparatus of the political system, experience in public financial management, land, resource, environment management, urban and rural governance, development of remote areas.
The National Academy of Politics and Public Administration of Laos, academies, Party schools, political schools, and universities of Laos and Vietnam continue to develop joint research and training programs for training strategic-level leaders and managers; master's and doctoral training programs, forming joint research groups on administrative reform, digital transformation in public administration, sustainable development administration.
Second: Connecting on training cadres and fostering the younger generation: If the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is to last, it must be "brought to the younger generation, to the new generation of cadres and civil servants.
The officials sitting in today's class will be the ones to plan and implement tomorrow's policies, your understanding of Vietnam - Laos relations will be nurtured and maintained in the relationship between the two countries in the future.
Therefore, we need to increase the exchange programs for students and lecturers between the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration and Vietnam's training institutions; make the history of the close, close, and harmonious relationship between the two peoples more vivid in the education program at all levels, in cultural works and artistic works of the two countries, increase the organization of youth forums and general training classes on state governance, international relations, integration, and sustainable development; encourage research, theses, and theses on special relations between Vietnam and Laos, sub-regional development linkages, and cooperation between Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia.
Not only studying together, young people need to live together, work together, so that the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos becomes a life experience, to bear fruit.
(In the period of 2021 - 2025, Vietnam has received nearly 6,000 Lao students. In the 2024 - 2025 school year alone, the number of Lao students receiving the Government scholarship to study in Vietnam is 3,417 students).
VI- Vietnam - Laos strategic solidarity in the ASEAN and regional space
Dear comrades, friends,
Vietnam and Laos are not only two neighbors, we are also two members of a larger community: the ASEAN Community.
A stable, developed and successfully integrated Vietnam will contribute significantly to the development of Laos. On the contrary, a stable, developed, identity-ustaining and independent Laos will also be a support and strategic partner for Vietnam.
In ASEAN, the common voice of Vietnam and Laos will contribute to strengthening solidarity and unity; upholding the principle of consensus and mutual respect; ensuring ASEAN is the center of regional cooperation structures, not divided or drawn.
In regional and international mechanisms, the coordination of positions and mutual support between Vietnam and Laos helps each country better protect its legitimate interests; creates more "resonance" for the voice of a developing country; contributes to peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region and the world.
And it is clear that the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is not only a "tership between the two countries" but also a positive factor in the security - peace - development structure of the region.
VII- Some suggestions of action principle
To close, I would like to make a few suggestions with a common motto of action, which can be considered the "key" for the new strategic linkage period between Vietnam and Laos:
(1) Maintain strategic trust, attach great importance to special solidarity first and then again. Strategic trust must be built from each specific action, from the way we handle interest issues in a frank, sincere, and mutual respectful manner.
(2) Solidarity must be considered a special quality of cohesion and strategic cohesion as a driving force for development; solidarity helps us survive and grow; solidarity helps us to be steadfast in the increasingly fierce competition for development.
(3) Maximize mutual support in geoeconomics, geopolitics, geocultures; the border is a space for development opportunities and integration.
(4) Putting people at the center of all programs, projects, and linked policies: Every route, bridge, economic zone, development corridor, etc. is truly meaningful if the lives of people on both sides of the border are better, young people have more opportunities, and people feel more clearly the benefits of the brotherhood between Vietnam and Laos.
(5) To continue writing new chapters in the Vietnam - Laos history in the language of the digital age on the foundation of Vietnam - Laos solidarity connected by blood, sweat, and tears on the battlefield in the past, today's generation needs to use knowledge, love, humanity, creativity, technology, through practical, effective, humane projects and especially with the enthusiastic heart of the younger generation.
Dear comrades, friends,
Visiting the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, I feel more clearly the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos, which are invaluable assets left by our ancestors and generations of revolutionary leaders of the two countries.
Therefore, we must take care to preserve, nurture and promote this invaluable asset. That is political responsibility, affection, honor, reason of life, and conscience of the two peoples.
I believe that, with the bravery, intelligence, perseverance and creativity of the two Parties and two States, with the aspiration to rise up of the two peoples, with the proactive and enthusiastic contribution of the team of cadres, civil servants and trainees being trained at the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, we will certainly enter a new, deeper, more effective and sustainable strategic connection stage.
Wishing the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the State and the people of all ethnic groups of Laos to develop more and more prosperously, the people to be prosperous and happy. Wishing the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration to continue to be a leading training and research center, worthy of the trust of the Lao Party and People.
Wishing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic solidarity between Vietnam and Laos to be forever green and sustainable.
would like to express my sincere thanks to General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, comrades and friends".
