Vietnam, Laos Foreign Ministries sign Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Overseas Vietnamese and Overseas Lao Affairs

During the courtesy call, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Thongsavanh Phomvihane extended his regards to Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Hoai Trung.

Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang expressed gratitude to the Deputy Prime Minister for taking the time to meet the delegation, appreciating the close cooperation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, especially after the successful 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 12th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Both parties are determined to lead their countries into a new phase of development, prioritizing science and technology as a breakthrough while valuing other development resources, including the diaspora.

The Deputy Minister expressed thanks to the leadership of the Lao Party, Government, and personally to Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane for facilitating the activities of the Vietnamese community and associations in Laos, serving as a reliable support and a bridge of friendship between the two nations.

The Lao Deputy Prime Minister highly valued the role of the Vietnamese community in Laos throughout historical periods, recognizing it as a united community that actively contributes to the development of Laos. He affirmed continued support for the community to uphold traditions and strengthen the Vietnam-Laos bond. Both sides agreed that diaspora affairs should be a focus for future cooperation.

In discussions with Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phongsavanh Sisoulath, both sides commended the cooperation between the two countries in diaspora affairs in recent times.

The Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that with nearly one million Laotians abroad, accounting for over 10% of the population, mainly in countries like the USA, France, Canada, and Australia, Laos aims to further harness the potential of overseas Laotians for national development. To this end, Laos will continue to refine its legal system to align with the situation, attracting investment and intellectual resources to contribute to the nation.

Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang congratulated Laos on achieving significant results in overseas Laotian affairs recently, especially since her working visit and experience exchange in 2023. This is a testament to the keen attention of the Lao Party and State leadership, as well as the leadership of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, towards overseas Laotian affairs.

Based on the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and the Liaison Committee for Overseas Laotians signed in 2011, both sides have regularly exchanged, coordinated, and learned from each other in diaspora affairs and other mutual concerns.

The mechanism of delegation exchange, alternating meetings, and sharing of work experiences has strengthened cooperative relations. Additionally, policy sharing and practical work have deepened the relationship between the advisory bodies on overseas Vietnamese/Laotian affairs.

In the future, the two agencies agreed to maintain and enhance cooperation, exchange delegations to share and learn from each other's advisory experiences, policy development, and resource attraction for national development. They will also work on legal dissemination and preserving national cultural identity abroad, organizing major events for the overseas Vietnamese/Laotian communities such as the Global Diaspora Conference, Homeland Spring, and Summer Camps for Overseas Youth. Notably, they will strengthen coordination between the Vietnamese and Lao representative missions abroad in diaspora affairs to connect Vietnamese and Laotian people in other countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in overseas Vietnamese/Laotian affairs for the period 2026-2030 between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Laos. This serves as an important basis for continued cooperation, with Laos initially sending a delegation to Vietnam to learn from the experience of organizing the Global Diaspora Conference, scheduled for December 2026.