General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) Nong Duc Manh left Hanoi Tuesday for a four-day official goodwill visit to Laos.

Manh is scheduled to hold talks with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Lao President Choummaly Sayasonethe, and meet with Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and President of the National Assembly of Laos Thongsing Thammavong.

Manh is accompanied by some senior officials, including Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, and head of the CPVCC's External Relations Commission Nguyen Van Son.

The visit shows the consistent policy of Vietnam's party and state that attaches importance to the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and multi-faceted cooperation between the two parties, two countries and two peoples, local newspaper People said in an editorial on Tuesday.

The visit also shows Vietnam's determination of strengthening the relations with higher quality and greater effectiveness, meeting aspirations of and bringing about benefits to the two countries, and raising their status in the international arena.

"It affirms that the enhancement of Vietnam-Laos special ties is an important factor, contributing to promoting peace, stability, cooperation and development in Southeast Asia and the Asian- Pacific region," the editorial said.

Source: Xinhua