Lao National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone receives the delegation from the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

On November 2 in Hanoi, Lao National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone received a delegation from the Central Committee of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association, led by Nguyen Dac Vinh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs, and President of the Association. The delegation paid a courtesy call on the occasion of the official visit to Viet Nam by Lao leaders from November 2 to 5, 2026.

At the meeting, National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone underscored the significance of 2027, when the two countries will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2027) and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 - July 18, 2027).

He called on the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association and the Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Association to maintain close coordination and intensify efforts to promote the special relationship and solidarity between the peoples of the two countries, particularly during the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

Regarding preparations for the 2027 commemorative activities, the Lao National Assembly President said that Laos had established a national-level Steering Committee to prepare for the events. The Lao Steering Committee would coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to organise the commemorative activities. Activities organised by the two Friendship Associations would also be carried out as part of the joint commemorative programme of the two countries.

Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Dac Vinh said that in recent years, the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association and the Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Association had jointly organised numerous activities, particularly on major anniversaries. A notable example was the fifth Viet Nam-Laos People's Friendship Festival, held in 2022 in Quang Tri (Viet Nam) and Savannakhet (Laos), to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.

The two Associations have also regularly organised exchange activities for young people, school pupils and university students, while coordinating efforts to support social welfare initiatives and assist localities facing difficulties. In border areas, localities in the two countries have implemented twinning programmes between villages and residential clusters, as well as between localities on both sides of the border.

Looking ahead to 2027, Nguyen Dac Vinh expressed his hope that the two Associations would soon develop a joint action plan and agree on the content of their activities for submission to the leaders of the two Parties and the two States. He also expressed his hope for continued attention and support from the Lao National Assembly President and the legislatures of both countries for the activities of the Friendship Associations.

Lao National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone spoke highly of the coordination between the two Associations in recent years and expressed his agreement with the proposed orientations outlined by Nguyen Dac Vinh. He called on the two Associations to continue organising practical activities to strengthen the close ties between the peoples of the two countries, while expressing his hope to welcome a delegation from the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association to Laos in 2027.

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