Vietnamese party leader meets Lao Deputy PM in Hanoi

（Xinhua）  08:03, December 21, 2012

HANOI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam's Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong met here on Thursday with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad during the latter's visit to Vietnam to attend the 35th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee for Economics, Culture, and Science and Technology Cooperation.

Trong spoke highly of the outcomes of the 35th meeting and efforts made by the two governments to implement cooperative agreements.

The Vietnamese party leader expressed his delight at effective cooperative activities held during the Vietnam-Laos and Laos- Vietnam Friendship Year 2012, saying they contributed to further bilateral ties.

He also said the two sides' sub-committees should continue to review and complete investment and trade policies to increase two- way trade, expand information exchange and improve coordination at multilateral forums, especially within the ASEAN framework and sub- region cooperation mechanisms.

Lengsavad, who is also Chairman of the Laos-Vietnam cooperation sub-committee, said the Lao government will try its utmost to implement agreements signed with the Vietnamese government, consolidate and strengthen traditional friendship, solidarity and all-sided cooperation between the two countries.