National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue arrives in Vientiane, beginning his official visit to Laos. (Photo: VNA)

The three-day visit is being made at the invitation of President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is being accompanied by NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai; NA Secretary General and Head of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong; Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha; Chairman of the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs Y Thanh Ha Nie K'dam; Chairman of the NA Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh; and Chairman of the NA Committee for Defence and Security Le Tan Toi, among others.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung and the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, and representatives of the Vietnamese community welcomed Hue and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese legislature at the airport.

Representatives from the Lao side at the welcome ceremony were Vice President of the Lao NA Sommad Pholsena, Chairman of the Lao NA’s Committee for Foreign Affairs Sanya Praseuth, and NA Deputy Secretary General Bounthan Bounvilay.

This is the first official visit to Laos by a senior leader of Viet Nam in the Laos - Viet Nam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, and also the first by Hue as Chairman of the Vietnamese NA. Hue is also the first foreign parliamentary leader to visit Laos since the country’s 11^th National Party Congress and the 9^th-tenure NA’s first session.

The visit takes place amid a number of important activities being held in the Viet Nam - Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year to mark the 60th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties of the two countries (September 5) and 45 years since the signing of the Laos - Viet Nam Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18).

Viet Nam and Laos are neighbours with a traditional and close-knit friendship founded by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, and Lao Presidents Kaysone Phomvihane and Souphanouvong, and nurtured by generations of both countries' leaders and people.

Bilateral cooperation has been strengthened over the time and the people of Viet Nam and Laos have always walked side by side in the struggles for national liberation as well as national construction and development in each country./.