The relationship is exemplary, faithful, durable and rarely found in international relations, the President said in an interview with the press on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and Laos (September 5).

The special ties, fostered by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane with the two countries’ leaders and people further embracing, is the rule for the development of each country’s revolution, he added.

Sang underscored the Viet Nam-Laos fighting alliance, which he attributed to the victory of the two countries’ struggle for their national liberation.

He affirmed the great significance of the Viet Nam-Laos special relations, saying that with the aim of mutual support and assistance for prosperous development in each country, the relationship contributed to creating an environment of peace, cooperation and friendship among Southeast Asian nations – one of the factors to build the ASEAN Community by 2015.

Viet Nam and Laos established diplomatic ties in 1962 and signed the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in 1977.

Over the past 50 years, especially 35 years of implementing the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries have become ever more closely and widely developed in all areas, including politics, diplomacy, defence-security, education-training, economics, trade, investment and science-technology.

Cooperation mechanisms, particularly at the highese level, between the two countries have been worked out regularly and effectiveness. The two sides signed and implemented bilateral agreements on economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation.

President Sang expressed his pleasure at the significant development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, particularly in trade and investment.

Currently, Vietnamese businesses are operating 435 projects in Laos with a total capital of over 5.2 billion USD, making Vietnam one of the biggest investors in Laos . Two-way trade between the two countries has unceasingly increased, reaching 734 million USD in 2011 and 465.7 million USD in the first six moths of 2012, up 33.1 percent year on year. The two countries are also striving to raise the figure to 1 billion USD in 2012 and 2 billion USD in 2015.

President Sang expressed belief that the two countries will further consolidate and develop their traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation to a new height, contributing to boost peace, stability, cooperation and development in the regional as well as in the world.

Regarding the prospects of the special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos, the President said the cooperation between the two countries has been developed in the basis of equality and mutual benefit, in the spirit of mutual support, giving priorities to each other in a proper manner and in accordance to international practices.

With the signed agreements between high-level leaders of both countries, which play the role of overall orientation for the development of Vietnam-Laos relations, the traditional friendship and special solidarity between the two Parties, States and peoples will see new dynamic, effective and practical developments, said Sang.

Sang added these new developments will contribute to successfully building Viet Nam into a strong country with wealthy people, and democratic, just and civilised society as well as building Laos into a peaceful, independent, democratic, united and prosperous nation, thus making positive contributions to boosting peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and in the world.

Viet Nam always considers the special relationship between the two countries as an invaluable treasure of both nations, Sang stressed.