Viet Nam's leaders awarded Laos's top honours as ties celebrated

The Lao Vice President said it was a great honour for him to represent his country in awarding its National Gold Medal and ITSARA medals to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, as well as former leaders and senior officials.

Vorachit said at a separate official ceremony that the honour marked the appreciation of Laos's Party and State for the leaders' contributions to the growing friendship of the two countries.

He also took the opportunity to thank the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their support for his country's revolutionary cause in the past, as well as its ongoing national defence and development.

Vorachit said his country and its people would do their best to strengthen the fruitful traditional friendship between the two countries. He also conveyed greetings from Laos's General Secretary Choummaly Sayasone to the Vietnamese leaders.

At the meeting, Manh agreed that the honour was a symbol for the two countries' exceptional friendship that should be preserved and passed down to future generations.

Manh also thanked the Lao people, Party and State for their assistance and affirmed that Viet Nam would do its best to bring the two countries' relations to new heights. He congratulated the Lao people for their recent achievements and expressed his belief that they would continue their success in the coming time.

Manh also sent greetings to his Lao counterpart Choummaly Sayasone and other leaders.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Dung said that generations of Vietnamese leaders had valued the countries' friendship, a priceless asset nurtured by the late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and his counterpart President Kaysone Phomvihane.

Dung also expressed his pleasure at receiving the honour, calling it important recognition from the Lao State and people. He said he would do more to fortify the two countries' excellent relationship.

He also said he was glad to see consistent mutual support from the two peoples, states and parties over the past few years, contributing to their individual economic and social successes nationally and internationally.

At the ceremony, nine leaders received National Gold Medals and nine senior officials were given ITSARA medals, Laos's second-highest honour.

Inspectorate co-operation

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the inspectorate leaderships from both Viet Nam and Laos to increase exchanges of information and experiences as well as co-operation in personnel training.

The Government leader made the call at his meeting with Asang Laoly, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the State Inspectorate of Laos, yesterday.

"The two sectors should promote co-operation to contribute to relations between the two countries," said PM Dung.

Asng, who is also Politburo member and Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, expressed wishes for stronger assistance and co-operation from Viet Nam.

Youth exchange

A Viet Nam-Laos Youth Friendship Exchange programme was launched yesterday in Laos's Savannakhet Province to mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two countries' general secretaries, Nong Duc Manh and Choummaly Sayasone, sent congratulatory letters to the youth attending the activity.

Addressing participants at the ceremony, Laos Youth Union secretary Khamphanh Sithidampha said the activity affirmed the two countries' policy of training youth to continue the tradition of their friendship.

Viet Nam's Ho Chi Minh Youth Union first secretary Vo Van Thuong thanked the Lao youth for their warm welcome and reviewed co-operation achievements between the Vietnamese and Lao youths in recent years.

//Viet Nam News

Asia News Network(ANN)