(VOVwrld) – President Truong Tan Sang received Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong in Hanoi on Friday. President Sang said that the Vietnamese Party, state, and localities are ready to support and cooperate with Laos in socio-economic development and personnel training.

During talks the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong expressed delight at the growing cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Dung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of valuing the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos. The Lao Prime Minister said Laos will do its utmost to boost cooperation with Vietnam in all areas. The two countries will continue to implement agreements reached at the 2015 annual meeting between the two Parties’ politburos and the 37^th session of the intergovernmental committee for bilateral cooperation as well as the new trade agreement and the Vietnam-Laos border trade agreement towards reaching 2 billion USD in two-way trade this year. The two sides will also strengthen cooperation in security, national defense, transportation, education, and human resource development. The two sides agreed to foster coordination at ASEAN, regional and global forums to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law and regional agreements.