On this occasion, Vietnam News Agency reporters in Vientiane interviewed the Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association, Lao Minister of Technology and Communications, Mr. Boviengkham Vongdara, about the importance and significance of the visit; about cooperation between the two countries in the field of technology, as well as what the two countries need to do to maintain, strengthen and further develop relations. Here is the interview content:

"Dear Minister, in the coming days, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will make his first official visit to Vietnam as prime minister. As Chairman of the Laoss-Vietnam Friendship Association, how does the Minister assess the meaning and importance of the visit to the relations between the two countries?"

"Politburo member Sonexay Siphandone will officially visit the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in his capacity as Prime Minister of Lao PDR on January 6-7. This is the first official visit of comrade Sonexay Siphandone as Prime Minister of Laos and he chose Vietnam as the first country for his official visit. Remember in early 2023, when Comrade Sonexay first took office as Prime Minister of Laos, he also welcomed Comrade Pham Minh Chinh, who also made his first official visit to Laos as Prime Minister of Vietnam and was also the first foreign leader to visit Laos after the country got a new Prime Minister. These are clear evidence that the great friendship, special solidarity and increasingly profound comprehensive cooperation between the two countries of Laos and Vietnam are always closely linked and always give highest priority to each other. 

Within the framework of the official visit to Vietnam, in addition to meetings with the homes of Vietnam's highest-ranking leaders, Prime Minister Sonexay will also co-chair the 46th meeting of the Joint Committee on bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Laos with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Attending the Laos - Vietnam Investment Cooperation conference..., this not only contributes to cultivating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries but also helps promote socio-economic development and economic cooperation between the two countries, helping bilateral relations become increasingly profound and substantive, commensurate with cooperation in the fields of politics and security and defense between the two countries. As Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association, I highly appreciate this official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone."

"Dear Minister, in recent times, in addition to strengthening cooperation in the fields of politics, security, defense, economics, culture and education, Vietnam and Laos have also focused on cooperation in the field of technology, as Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos, how do you evaluate Vietnam's support for Laos in this field and its significance for the future development of Laos? "

"We are living in the 4.0 era, so applying new technology to life is extremely important for the socio-economic development of each country. In the field of digital technology, which is an important area with little sharing, Vietnamese comrades have sincerely helped the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications.

Not only that, Vietnam also chose Laos as the first country to sign a Digital Cooperation Partnership Agreement. After the two countries signed the agreement, Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications helped us develop human resources, develop technical infrastructure, such as building a Cyber ​​Security Center and helping build platforms in the field of education, especially the distance education platform to bring educational knowledge via the internet to people in remote and difficult areas of Laos...

The projects I mentioned above not only demonstrate sincere and close cooperation in the relationship between the two countries in general and in the field of technology in particular, but also contribute to helping Laos successfully implement the development of the media sector and the country's digital transformation strategy in the future."

"As Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association, according to the Minister, what do Vietnam and Laos need to do to continue to maintain, strengthen and further develop the relationship between the two countries, so that this relationship is sustainable and lasting? "

"On behalf of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association, I think the most important thing that the two countries need to do in the future is to continue to educate political ideology for the younger generation, so that they can clearly understand the friendly relationship. great conference, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Laos-Vietnam and Vietnam-Laos, thereby continuing to preserve and nurture the relationship, which has become the heritage of the two peoples.

Besides educating the younger generation about the traditions of the two countries' relations, the two sides also need to develop together economically. Currently, the two countries' political and security-defense relations are very good, but cooperation in economic development is not commensurate with political and security-defense cooperation. Therefore, we need to propagate to businesses and entrepreneurs to understand so that they can help each other invest and develop the economy, making economic cooperation one of the solid pillars along with other pillars. politics, security, and defense. This is something that the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association and Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association have discussed, and this year, we will organize a workshop to encourage Lao businesses to invest in Vietnam and vice versa.

In addition to strengthening economic cooperation, one of the other important areas that Vietnam and Laos need to cooperate in is the field of culture, society, human resource training, and health. As President Ho Chi Minh once said: "For the benefit of ten years, we must plant trees; for the benefit of a hundred years, we must plant people,"  so if Vietnam and Laos cooperate closely with each other in the field of education and training human resources, increasing the number of Lao students studying in Vietnam will help the cooperative relationship between the two countries in the future to always be strong, increasingly effective, and lasting over time."

"Sincerely, thank you, Minister!"