This statement was concluded at the working session on the afternoon of January 14 between Acting Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Affairs Pham Dut Diem, along with leaders of the city’s departments and agencies, and a delegation of leaders from departments and agencies of the capital city of Laos led by Director of the Department of Public Works and Transport of Vientiane Bounnyavath Nilasay.
At the working session, both sides highly appreciated the results of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2021–2025 period.
Regarding political and diplomatic relations, exchanges of delegations have taken place regularly and substantively, particularly high-level visits by leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane. The relationship between political and socio-political organizations of the two sides has continued to expand.
In economic terms, the beef cattle breeding center project in Sang Thong, Laos stands out as a highlight in supporting social welfare.
In the field of education, Ho Chi Minh City awards 17 scholarships each year to students from Vientiane. Notably, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the two localities provided timely mutual assistance in medical supplies, demonstrating a strong bond of brotherhood.
Looking toward the 2026–2030 period, the two sides agreed on a draft of a new MoU featuring significant breakthroughs in both scope, expanding from 11 to 26 areas of cooperation, and depth. These include expanded cooperation in security and defense, notably drug prevention and control, legal and judicial affairs focusing on exchange of experience in adjudication, and healthcare, as well as strengthened educational cooperation, with Ho Chi Minh City increasing the number of scholarships to 40 at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, while Vientiane will grant two scholarships each year to officials from Ho Chi Minh City.
In addition, the two sides will study the implementation of a Vientiane Capital Trade and Tourism Center project in Ho Chi Minh City; focus on building the headquarters of Nonvai Commune and a social protection center in Laos; and enhance exchanges of experience in planning and sustainable urban development between the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction and the Vientiane Capital Department of Public Works and Transport.
Concluding the working session, both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together to remove administrative procedural barriers and to make the Ho Chi Minh City–Vientiane partnership a model for local-level cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
