Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia National Assembly Leaders Agree to Strengthen Effective Cooperation to Meet Development Needs in the New Phase.

 Chairman of the National Assembly Trần Thanh Mẫn along with the Chairman of the Lao National Assembly, Chairman of AIPA Saysomphone Phomvihane, and the Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly Khuon Sudary. 

On the morning of October 18, within the framework of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 45) held in Vientiane, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, Laos National Assembly Chairman and AIPA President Saysomphone Phomvihane, and Cambodia National Assembly Chairwoman Khuon Sudary held a working breakfast meeting.

According to the Vietnam News Agency (TTXVN), during the breakfast meeting, the three National Assembly leaders agreed that the cooperative relationship between the three countries, under the direction and guidance of the three Parties, is progressing in multiple fields. Defense and security cooperation remains a solid pillar, economic, trade, and investment cooperation is robust, and collaboration in tourism, education, culture, and people-to-people exchange has achieved significant advancements through various innovations, further strengthening the ties between the three nations.

The three leaders affirmed that parliamentary cooperation is increasingly deepening and contributing to comprehensive collaboration across all channels and levels. It plays a vital role in bilateral relations, particularly in enhancing institutional frameworks, policymaking, and legislative support to foster each country’s socioeconomic development, security, and defense, as well as to strengthen economic connectivity between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They also agreed to coordinate well in preparing for an upcoming meeting among the heads of the three Parties.

To realize the high-level commitments of the three countries' leaders, the three National Assembly leaders agreed to intensify regular bilateral and trilateral exchanges and meetings, closely coordinate to monitor and promote the implementation of bilateral and trilateral cooperation agreements, and develop trilateral cooperation mechanisms. They will also advance youth and young leaders' exchange and training programs to foster future cooperative relations among the three countries, continue the Young Cadres Program for border provinces, and potentially expand it to other provinces. They committed to closely collaborating to maintain peaceful, stable, and friendly borders between Vietnam-Laos, Vietnam-Cambodia, and the three countries as a whole.

Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Trần Thanh Mẫn, Chairman of the Lao National Assembly, and Chairman of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Saysomphone Phomvihane, along with Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly, Samdech Khuon Sudary, having a working breakfast.

Chairwoman Khuon Sudary and Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane commended Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn’s presentation of four initiatives from Vietnam at the AIPA Young Parliamentarians Conference: enhancing the role of ASEAN young parliamentarians; promoting social welfare and employment opportunities for the elderly in ASEAN; supporting the elimination of violence against women and girls in ASEAN; and enhancing institutional capacity for transportation, aviation, and seaport connectivity within ASEAN.

The three National Assembly leaders reaffirmed the significance and role of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) mechanism, which has yielded substantial results for each country’s development and strengthened the bonds among the three nations over the past 25 years. They agreed to continue strengthening effective cooperation among the three countries in alignment with development needs in the new phase, emphasizing mutual trust, solidarity, and unity for the shared benefit of the three countries and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development.