The chairmen of the National Assemblies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia pledged on December 5 to strengthen their parliamentary cooperation and foster relations among the three countries.

They agreed that through the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Parliamentary Summit, the three national assemblies will strengthen their oversight of government actions to resolve any problems along the way and implement joint projects and agreements for the benefit of the people.

It is important for the three countries to maintain their friendship and partnership, which have high values and significance for the development of the three countries, said  Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly, delivers remarks at the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Parliamentary Summit on December 5. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

"Vietnam always values our relations with Laos and Cambodia and considers them one of the foreign policy priorities," he said.

"The establishment of the trilateral parliamentary summit marks a new stage in the relationship between the three supreme legislative bodies and realizes the outcome of the meeting between the three party leaders in September 2021."

Hue proposed several solutions to the summit to develop the relations between the three national legislatures.

He suggested that the three legislative bodies strengthen cooperation in policymaking, support the government in implementing socio-economic development measures, ensure national defense and security, and work together to enhance trilateral relations at regional and international conferences.

The Vietnamese official recommended that the three national assemblies oversee the implementation of signed agreements to boost trade relations and support each other's sustainable growth.

Hue urged the three governments to provide better living and working conditions for the people of the three nations and to enhance achievements in tourism, health, education and cultural exchanges to nurture young generations based on friendship.

"Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia should focus on strengthening their efforts in responding to climate change, water management, and achieving sustainable development goals," he said.

The three nations must work to ensure national defense and security and complete the installation of border markers soon, Hue added.

Saysomphone Phomvihane, Chairman of the National Assembly of Laos, said the first parliamentary summit among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia is highly valuable amid the combination of opportunities and uncertainties.

He said the three legislatures, governments and peoples must promote their trilateral relations in socio-economic growth and cultural exchanges.

Saysomphone commended the three governments for their great achievements in bringing prosperity and growth to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam triangle.

The Lao top legislator said the summit will be an important milestone that will enable the three countries to make best efforts in multiple areas and thus promote the development of each other.

In his remarks, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, said the three national assemblies have worked hard to support the governments to successfully implement their socio-economic growth programs and ensure stability and living conditions in their respective countries.

He expected the summit to conclude with great outcomes that would propel the three nations forward, narrow the gap with developed economies, reduce poverty, achieve sustainability and become a model for the region.

Speaking at the event, representatives from the World Bank, UNDP, the Asian Development Bank, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) highlighted the cooperation that Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia have built.

They said such cooperation has spurred growth in the three countries and motivated other countries in Southeast Asia to move forward.

Prior to the summit, Chairman Hue and his Lao and Cambodian counterparts, Saysomphone and Khuon Sudary, respectively, met with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and president of the state.

The Lao president said bilateral relations between the nations are the foundation for achieving better benefits for the people.

Khuon, Cambodia's top legislator, said the summit was an important opportunity for the top officials of the three national assemblies to meet and strengthen their ties to help the governments overcome difficulties.

Chairman Hue stressed the importance of the summit on the occasion of the 48th National Day of Laos. He congratulated the host country for its recent achievements in socio-economic growth and appreciated its efforts in organizing the summit.

He stressed that the summit would enable the three nations to develop new cooperation mechanisms, thus bringing prosperity, peace and stability to the region.

Hue said the results of the first summit will lay the foundation for Vietnam to host the second summit, and that Vietnam fully supports Laos' chairmanship of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly summit in 2024.