Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang and other senior municipal officials welcomed Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith to the city on May 16.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang (R) welcomes Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

Secretary Dinh La Thang noted that PM Thongloun Sisoulith’s decision to choose Vietnam, as well as Ho Chi Minh City, for the first foreign visit in his new position demonstrates his warm sentiments for the neighbouring country and its southern city.

The traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have been strengthened and developed across the fields, Thang said.

He also expressed joy at the establishment of the ASEAN Community to which both Vietnam and Laos are members, adding that he believes Laos will fulfill its missions as the Chair of ASEAN in 2016, the first year of the ASEAN Community.

For his part, PM Thongloun Sisoulith said his visit to Vietnam as well as that of Lao General Secretary and President Bounnhang Volachit demonstrated the long-standing amity and special solidarity between the two countries’ Parties, States and peoples.

The two sides have actively supported each other for the sake of mutual development over the past four decades, he said, adding that he hopes the newly-elected Secretary of Party Committee and Chairman of People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City will push ahead with the cooperation between the city and Laos.

VNA