Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh extended his New Year wishes to the Lao Party, State and people when attending a ceremony to welcome their traditional Bun Pi May festival held by the Lao Embassy in Vietnam on April 7.
Congratulating on important achievements the Lao people have made over the past time, Minh believed that they will effectively implement the 10th Party Congress’s Resolution and the 2016-2020 socio-economic development plan to make the country more prosperous.
He told participants that 2017 witnesses many important events of the two countries, including the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year, the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, and 40 years of the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
Vietnam pledged to work with Laos to maintain their time-honoured friendship and special solidarity, and intensify their comprehensive cooperation in order to bring practical benefits to their people and contribute to the ASEAN Community building for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, he added.
Lao Ambassador Thongsavanh Phomvihane thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their support for his country’s past struggle for national liberation and the current nation building and safeguarding.
The Bun Pi May festival falls on April 14 to 16, with several ritual ceremonies and prayers for good weather, an abundant harvest and a prosperous New Year.
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/
