On December 3, 2025, Lao National Radio released the Laos-Vietnam Joint Statement, issued during the state visit of To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, to Laos and his attendance at the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Laos’s founding.
Laos-Vietnam Joint Statement
1. At the invitation of Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and his wife, Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State, paid a state visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic from December 1 to 2, 2025. He attended the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and co-chaired the 2026 annual meeting of the Politburo of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam.
During this period, Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, met with Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos; met with Comrade Somxay Siphandone, Prime Minister of Laos; met with Comrade Saysomphone Phomvihane, President of the National Assembly; laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; attended the opening ceremony of the Lao-Vietnam Friendship Park; visited former leaders of the Lao Party and State; delivered a speech at the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration; and participated in other activities held in Laos.
2. In an atmosphere filled with friendship, special solidarity, and deep mutual trust, the two sides exchanged views on the situation of their respective parties and countries, Lao-Vietnam relations, and the broad, comprehensive, and practical regional and international situation of deep concern to both sides.
Both sides congratulated and highly praised the tremendous, comprehensive, and historically significant achievements made by the two parties, the two countries, and the two peoples in the past period. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to exchanging experiences, researching and applying groundbreaking policies to Party building, rectifying Party conduct, combating corruption, economic development, building an independent economic foundation, cultivating high-quality human resources, streamlining organizational structures, and preparing for their respective Party’s national congresses. This has made significant contributions to maintaining political stability, promoting socio-economic development, consolidating national defense and security, and expanding foreign cooperation.
Both sides firmly believe that under the wise leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam, inheriting the cause of previous generations of leaders, carrying forward the glorious revolutionary traditions and the special solidarity between the two peoples, they will continue to advance the cause of reform, defend and build their respective countries, and achieve new and greater successes.
Both sides highly appreciate the frequent and innovative mutual visits and meetings between the two countries’ high-level leaders over the past period; the effective use of existing cooperation mechanisms and the proactive establishment and improvement of many mechanisms with special characteristics, particularly the strategic policy consultation mechanism; the coordinated dispatch of Vietnamese expert teams to Laos to exchange experiences, aiming to promptly resolve difficulties; and the coordination of directions on major issues concerning their respective national security, development, and integration, making significant contributions to improving the efficiency of cooperation at all levels and in all fields.
3. Building upon and carrying forward the tradition of the special relationship between the two countries, both sides agreed to elevate Lao-Vietnamese relations to a new level, deepening them into a “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic partnership.” This reflects the shared vision and strategic interests of both sides and points the way for the sustainable development, self-reliance, and prosperity of the two peoples.
Both sides reaffirmed that the strategic partnership will serve as a strong foundation for promoting bilateral cooperation, particularly in aligning visions and goals, development policies and strategies, infrastructure and development sectors, and education and human resource development, to safeguard peace and sustainable development in both countries.
Both sides agreed to firmly recognize its special importance and, with a strong determination, uphold and carry forward the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic partnership forged by Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Sou Panouvong. This relationship, carefully nurtured by successive leaders and peoples of both countries, has now been inherited and carried forward, and it aligns with the strategic needs, vision, and interests of both countries in the new era.
4. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to elevating strategic mutual trust to a higher level. The two sides reaffirmed their consistent policy of working side-by-side, supporting and assisting each other in the cause of national reform, defense and construction. Laos-Vietnam and Vietnam-Laos relations have always been considered a top priority and primary task in their respective foreign policies. They are exemplary, long-term strategic relations, a key factor in the success of their respective national revolutionary causes, invaluable assets, strategic pillars for national security, development and international integration, and a source of historical strength and power, serving as an important driving force for both countries to continue to maintain, develop and pass on to future generations.
Both sides reaffirmed their strong determination to reach new development milestones and successfully convene their respective party national congresses; to strive to make Vietnam a high-income developed country by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and to strive to make Laos a middle-to-high-income developing country by 2055, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. At the same time, both sides set goals to build Laos and Vietnam into increasingly prosperous, democratic, just and civilized nations; to continuously enhance their respective national status and role on the regional and international stage; and to firmly move towards socialism suited to their respective national conditions. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to effectively implementing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic partnership of the new development era; and agreed to continue elevating the strategic partnership of political cooperation between the two parties and countries, regarding it as a core pillar guiding the strategic direction of the Lao-Vietnam comprehensive cooperative relationship.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation, closely coordinating in party building and political system development. Simultaneously, they agreed to coordinate the implementation of groundbreaking initiatives in socio-economic development, macroeconomic stability, and international integration. Both sides reached consensus on strategic thinking and practice, aiming to make Lao-Vietnam relations increasingly close, comprehensive, and sustainable in the new era.
5. Both sides reaffirmed the strategic importance of strengthening cooperation in the defense and security field, regarding it as one of the important pillars of the Lao-Vietnam special relationship.
Both sides agreed to closely cooperate to ensure political security and social order, resolutely safeguarding their respective countries’ independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and simultaneously establishing a defense and security posture integrated with strategy, assisting each other in preventing and resisting traditional and non-traditional security risks.
Both sides agreed to cooperate closely to maintain political stability in their respective countries and ensure national security, social order, and safety; to implement in a practical and effective manner the protocols, agreements, cooperation plans, and memorandums of understanding between the two countries’ ministries of defense, public security, and relevant ministries and sectors; to implement the agreements between the two countries on foreigners, consular work, and labor; and to strictly enforce the agreements on border and port management regulations, building the Lao-Vietnamese border into a border of peace, stability, friendship, and sustainable development.
Both sides reiterated their consistent position that the security of one country is as important as the security of the nation; and that they will never allow hostile forces to use one country’s territory to undermine the other, or to sow discord and divide the special friendship and unity between Laos and Vietnam. They will continue to strengthen effective cooperation to prevent and combat attempts at “peaceful evolution” and “subversion through unrest,” while simultaneously working together to refute statements that distort facts and attempt to divide the special relationship between Laos and Vietnam.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening consultations and assisting each other in consolidating and building a robust defense and security posture; agreed to vigorously promote cooperation in capacity building, exercises, training, and information sharing to effectively address traditional and non-traditional security challenges; closely coordinate the organization of military exercises to address non-traditional security challenges, prevent and combat terrorism, manage border crossings, curb illegal immigration and illegal resource extraction; ensure political security, social order, and border area security; and combat transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking and cybercrime. Both sides congratulated each other on the successful signing of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi and reaffirmed their commitment to initiating domestic ratification procedures to promote the early entry into force of the Convention. Both sides will continue to strengthen the integration of defense and security activities and cooperation projects with sustainable socio-economic development, particularly projects in key border areas between the two countries. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening friendly exchanges on defense along the Lao-Vietnamese border and to effectively utilize existing mechanisms.
Meanwhile, both sides will continue to work closely together to search for, collect, and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during the war, reflecting this tradition and the pure, profound, and special friendship between the two peoples; they will also cooperate in inspecting and restoring monuments and landmark projects symbolizing the solidarity, friendship, and comradeship between Laos and Vietnam.
6. Both sides agreed to demonstrate strong political resolve in creating a powerful transformation and strategic breakthrough in cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, investment, and infrastructure development, making cooperation in this area a pillar of the mutually beneficial strategic partnership and commensurate with the level of the Lao-Vietnamese special relationship.
The opening of Terminal 3 at the Lao-Vietnamese International Port is not only a successful step in infrastructure development but also a symbol of the development of the strategic partnership, contributing to the vision of “bringing Laos to the sea” and connecting Laos-Vietnam with the region and sustainable development paths.
Both sides pledged to continue close cooperation to contribute to ensuring their respective countries’ economic stability and energy security; they agreed to promote the implementation of major strategic projects in the areas of energy, mineral exploration and development, and transportation infrastructure connectivity. Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to creating favorable conditions and mobilizing resources to ensure the early implementation of key cooperation projects, including the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, a power transmission project from northern Laos to Vietnam, coal trading cooperation, power cooperation, the construction of strategic oil depots along the border, and mineral extraction. They viewed these as important drivers for achieving breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation in the near future.
Vietnam expressed its appreciation for Laos’ decision to take the lead in implementing the Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway (Vientiane to Thanh Thuy border crossing section). Vietnam will also commence construction on the Vinh to Thanh Thuy section in early 2026.
Both sides pledged to work towards the early completion of the Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway to meet the shared aspirations of both countries for infrastructure connectivity and to create favorable conditions for development, particularly by connecting Vung Ang Port to this important corridor.
Both sides will cooperate in studying and proposing appropriate measures to address difficulties and obstacles, ensuring that the project implementation aligns with the guidelines and directives of the high-level leaders of both parties and countries. Simultaneously, both sides will focus on expanding new economic cooperation corridors, strengthening connectivity and mutual support between the two economies. Specifically, they will establish production-sales linkages in areas such as financial regulations, transportation infrastructure, logistics, energy, telecommunications, and tourism. They will encourage and create favorable conditions to support capable, reputable, and financially sound enterprises in both countries to strengthen cooperation and invest in innovation, digital transformation, renewable energy, high-tech agriculture, processing industries, green development, the digital economy, tourism, and other sectors. Both sides agreed to prioritize projects along the border for enterprises from both countries, particularly key infrastructure construction, and to promote the implementation of the Lao-Vietnamese Industrial Park model and cross-border border economy along the East-West Economic Corridor. They will also create a favorable investment and business environment, ensuring stability and convenience for enterprises from both countries to achieve sustainable development.
Both sides agreed to strive to increase bilateral trade volume, aiming to reach US$5 billion in the near future; strengthen connectivity, assist business associations, and vigorously promote trade promotion, publicity, brand building, and sales networks for Lao and Vietnamese goods in each other’s countries, ensuring stable and sustainable sales of goods from both countries. Simultaneously, both sides agreed to vigorously promote the implementation of approved grant aid projects, facilitate and leverage bilateral small-scale trade settlement mechanisms, and effectively achieve digitalization to strengthen economic integration and inject new impetus into Lao-Vietnamese trade cooperation.
Both sides agreed to reform and improve the quality and efficiency of Vietnam’s grant aid to Laos, shifting from a “broad and dispersed” approach to a “focused and targeted” one. This includes transforming screening and standard evaluation processes and implementing projects based on clear measures, specific timelines, and ensuring practicality and sustainability.
7. Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos, agreed to attach importance to and vigorously promote cooperation in developing high-quality human resources, prioritizing the training and development of leading and managing cadres in Lao ministries, sectors, and localities. They also agreed to study and formulate special policies for cadres who have worked for many years, have close relationships, and understand bilateral relations; and for students studying in each other’s countries. Both sides will continue to effectively implement the Protocol on Human Resources Development Cooperation between the two governments for the period 2022-2027. Simultaneously, both sides will promote the implementation of tasks and measures under the 2021-2030 Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Quality and Efficiency Improvement Project. They will increase short-term training programs for Lao cadres and civil servants, especially strategic-level cadres, focusing on developing high-quality human resources, and promoting cooperation in skills development and vocational training at the central and local levels. Both sides agreed to continue promoting Vietnamese language courses and using Vietnamese textbooks in Lao secondary schools; to organize Vietnamese language teaching for Lao students and cadres in relevant government agencies where needed and conditions are suitable; to study and promote the inclusion of Lao language in the curriculum of Vietnamese secondary schools; and to teach Lao language and culture to students in provinces bordering Laos in the future. They will also provide Lao language training for some Vietnamese central ministries, sectors, and mass organizations that have cooperative relations with Laos, contributing to strengthening exchanges, cooperation, and fostering the special friendship between the two countries.
Both sides agreed to coordinate the organization of significant events and activities to celebrate the 2027 Laos-Vietnam Year of Solidarity and Friendship, as well as major events in both countries, ensuring the content is rich and relevant. They also agreed to promote cooperation in information and communication, transform the content and methods of propaganda, and educate cadres, party members, and people from all walks of life, especially youth and the armed forces of both countries, about the traditions of the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic partnership between Laos and Vietnam.
Both sides agreed to vigorously promote people-to-people diplomacy, regularly organize friendly border exchanges and youth exchanges, and conduct cultural, artistic, and sports exchanges, aiming to enhance understanding, mutual trust, and closeness between the two peoples. Both sides will expedite the introduction of Lao-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Lao special relationship history into their respective national educational institutions. They will also actively cooperate in the construction, protection, restoration, and promotion of historical sites significant to the relations between the two parties, countries, and peoples. These include the Truong Son-Ho Chi Minh Trail site on Lao territory and the site of the First Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on the Lao-Vietnamese border, which they consider symbols of the pure and profound relationship between the two parties, countries, and peoples. Several other projects of significant symbolic importance will be launched to contribute to deepening Lao-Vietnamese friendship and special solidarity.
Both sides agreed to continue guiding efforts to improve the efficiency of cooperation and mutual assistance between party and government ministries and sectors, National Assembly committees, fronts, mass organizations, civil society organizations, and local governments, especially those bordering each other. Following the streamlining and reorganization of local administrative bodies, they will review and improve cooperation between local governments to ensure that central management is both practical and efficient. They will actively exchange information, share experiences, and provide mutual assistance and support for common development.
8. Both sides agreed to strengthen information exchange, timely consultation, close coordination, and effective mutual support in international and regional forums, particularly within the framework of ASEAN cooperation and ASEAN-centered mechanisms, the United Nations, the Mekong Subregion Cooperation Mechanism, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), to make a strong contribution to maintaining regional and global peace, stability, and development cooperation.
Both sides agreed to continuously enhance their respective national prestige and status, and to leverage the important role of the Lao-Vietnamese special relationship in the region. They emphasized the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and its central role; and agreed to strengthen cooperation to effectively implement the ASEAN Vision 2045 and related strategic plans, contributing to the achievement of the ASEAN Community goals and building a resilient, innovative, united, and people-centered ASEAN.
Both sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation, working closely with downstream Mekong countries, partners, and relevant international organizations to effectively, equitably, and sustainably manage and utilize water and related resources, while comprehensively reviewing and monitoring impacts (including border impacts), exchanging information, meteorological, and hydrological data, and improving drought and flood prevention capabilities, contributing to the sustainable development of the Mekong subregion and the common interests of riparian countries. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation, mobilizing the resources of partners and relevant international organizations to serve the connectivity of the two economies and the economic and social development of their respective countries.
Both sides will work closely within the framework of the 1995 Mekong River Law (Agreement on Cooperation in Sustainable Development among the Member States of the Mekong River and the Mekong River Commission) and other relevant cooperation mechanisms to promote the alignment of sub-regional cooperation mechanisms with the ASEAN Community building process; and encourage ASEAN countries and external partners to actively participate in assistance and investment in key areas of the Mekong sub-region, such as infrastructure connectivity, energy, innovation, technology, and human resource development.
Both sides reaffirmed their strong support for ASEAN’s principled position on the South China Sea issue, as stated in various ASEAN statements; emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (East China Sea), limiting actions that could complicate the situation and escalate tensions, and resolving South China Sea disputes peacefully on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); and worked with all relevant parties to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and to reach a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is consistent with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, as soon as possible.
9. Both sides highly appreciated this historically significant and particularly important visit. This visit took place amidst the ongoing efforts of both parties, countries, and peoples to implement national development strategies, actively prepare for their respective party congresses, and hold elections for the new national parliaments in early 2026. This historic diplomatic event demonstrated deep respect, concern, close kinship, and support, and was a great encouragement to the Lao and Vietnamese parties, countries, and peoples, reaffirming that the success of one country is the common success of both.
Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos, along with other senior Lao leaders, welcomed and highly appreciated the state visit to Laos by General Secretary To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, his wife, and their delegation. This visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. They also reiterated that the tremendous achievements of the Lao Party, State, and people in the past were inseparable from the wholehearted, effective, and timely assistance of the fraternal Vietnamese Party, State, and people. This is not only a tremendous source of spiritual encouragement, but also a vivid demonstration of the close, pure, profound, and mutually supportive relationship between the two parties, the two countries, and the two peoples throughout the long revolutionary history of Laos and Vietnam, and in the current cause of defending and building the nation.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Comrade To Lam, reiterated that the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party is a political event of special and important significance, injecting new impetus and creating important preconditions not only for the revolutionary cause in Laos, but also for promoting future cooperation between the two parties and countries.
Vietnam consistently supports Laos’s groundbreaking new development direction and firmly believes that under the wise leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Laos will continue to maintain political stability, achieve sustainable economic and social development, and continuously improve the people’s living standards. General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the success of the 12th National Congress and the subsequent parliamentary elections will lay a favorable foundation for Laos to achieve its goal of building a peaceful, independent, democratic, unified, and prosperous nation.
During this visit, the two sides signed cooperation documents covering key areas of bilateral cooperation, such as defense, security, diplomacy, trade, education, justice, banking, communications, and inter-regional cooperation. Both sides agreed to effectively implement the aforementioned documents.
Both sides highly praised the successful state visit of General Secretary To Lam, President of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and his wife and delegation to Laos, considering it a historic milestone that opened a new chapter in Lao-Vietnamese relations. This visit contributed to promoting and nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic partnership between the two countries, elevating Lao-Vietnamese and Vietnam-Laos relations to a new height with deeper political mutual trust, creating breakthrough momentum for practical, sustainable, and long-term development cooperation, and making positive contributions to regional and global peace, stability, and development.
10. General Secretary To Lam and his wife expressed their gratitude to General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, and his wife, as well as the senior leaders of the Lao Party and State and the Lao people, for their warm and heartfelt reception, which profoundly reflects the special solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos. On this occasion, they extended an invitation to General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, and his wife, as well as the senior leaders of the Lao Party and State, to pay an official visit to Vietnam.
Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos, and his wife, along with senior leaders of the Lao Party and State, expressed their gratitude and gladly accepted the invitation.