During their talks in Vientiane on March 23, President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone agreed to facilitate all-level visits, effectively realise agreements reached at the 37 th meeting of the Vietnam – Laos Inter-governmental Committee and promptly issue policies conducive to bilateral trade and investment.

Both sides concurred to complete a project to increase and upgrade border markers before the end of 2015 in celebration of the 85 th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 40 th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification, the 70 th anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam, the 60 th anniversary of the Lao People’s Republic Party (LPRP), and the 40 th anniversary of the National Day of Laos.

Economically, the two leaders lauded the 24.5 percent annual increase in trade value to nearly 1.4 billion USD in 2014. Vietnam is currently the largest investor of Laos with 413 registered projects worth over 5 billion USD.

They talked extensively on several regional and global issues of shared concern, including the maintenance of peace and stability in the East Sea and the sustainable use of water resources of the Mekong River, and expressed their delight at constructive support for one another in the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and other international and regional forums.

Both host and guest pledged to join coordinated efforts with other ASEAN nations to realise their common community by late 2015.

The Vietnamese President assured that his country supports Laos in its role as ASEAN Chair in 2016 and has full confidence that the Lao people will achieve the goals set by the 9 th National Congress of the LPRP.

The Lao President, for his part, said the visit will contribute to lifting the bilateral relationship to a new level.

The visit coincided with the 60 th founding anniversary of the LPRP (March 22) and preparations for the 40 th anniversary of the National Day of Laos (December 2)