NA  Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (right) hosts a reception for Vice President of the Lao National Assembly Bounpone Bouttanavong in Hanoi on August 20. (Photo: VNA)

Ngan said the Vietnamese NA highly values Bounpone Bouttanavong’s visit and considers consolidating and developing the Vietnam-Laos relationship a strategic task. She briefed her guest on Vietnam’s socio-economic situation, with GDP expected to grow 6.76 percent this year.  

Bounpone Bouttanavong informed the host about outcomes of his talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Phung Quoc Hien. The two sides agreed to continue their coordination in organising high-level visits of legislative leaders, thematic seminars for agencies of the parliaments and training courses on law building, the Lao legislator said, expressing his hope that the legislatures will step up their cooperation in the time ahead. 
He highlighted the success of the recent seventh conference of external relations committees of Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian parliaments in Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh. 
Laos will closely coordinate with Vietnam when the country assumes the role as Chair of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020.