The visit and working trip of Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaithong Kommasith marks an important milestone, opening a new phase of more substantive, effective, and sustainable cooperation between the two ministries and the two countries.

On August 4, 2025, in Hanoi, Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Nguyễn Hồng Diên held official talks with Minister of Industry and Commerce of Laos Malaithong Kommasith, on the occasion of the visit and working trip to Vietnam by the high-level delegation of the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce from August 3–4, 2025.

Speaking at the talks, Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên highly appreciated the outcomes of bilateral trade cooperation in recent years. In 2024, two-way trade turnover reached USD 2.25 billion, up 38.2% compared to 2023—surpassing the USD 2 billion mark for the first time.
In the first six months of 2025 alone, trade turnover reached USD 1.78 billion, an increase of 92.2% year-on-year. Laos continued to record a trade surplus with Vietnam, demonstrating its steadily improving production and export capacity.

The two Ministers also welcomed positive results in trade promotion and business connectivity, notably the Vietnam–Laos Trade Fair 2025 held in July in Vientiane, which featured 250 booths and attracted a large number of enterprises from both countries.

To further promote bilateral cooperation in the industry and trade sector, Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên proposed that Laos enhance the provision of information on market demand, lists of export–import commodities, and key enterprises, enabling Vietnam to effectively support connections with major importers and distribution systems in Vietnam.

He also suggested developing a comprehensive master plan for power projects expected to sell electricity to Vietnam, instead of proposing individual small-scale projects, thereby providing Vietnam with a solid basis to formulate an overall electricity import strategy aligned with its national energy development planning.

In addition, the two sides should coordinate to accelerate the implementation of contents under the Agreement on the purchase and sale of electricity and coal between the two Governments signed on January 9, 2025, and the amending Protocol signed on July 9, 2025.

Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên further proposed organizing the 13th Vietnam–Laos Border Trade Cooperation Conference in Thanh Hóa in the fourth quarter of 2025 to review achieved results, discuss solutions to address difficulties, and promote border trade.

For his part, Minister Malaithong Kommasith proposed that Vietnam share experience in reforming and managing state-owned enterprises, public–private partnership (PPP) models, and enterprise equitization; consider resolving difficulties faced by enterprises related to sugar exports from Laos to Vietnam under the 2015 Vietnam–Laos Trade Agreement during the 2021–2022 period; and cooperate in developing petroleum storage facilities as well as joint Vietnam–Laos industrial and economic zones.

Regarding these proposals, Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên affirmed Vietnam’s cooperative spirit and readiness to work closely and hold detailed exchanges through technical focal points on both sides, ensuring compliance with legal regulations and a balance of interests for both parties.

The two Ministers agreed that this visit and working trip by Minister Malaithong Kommasith to Vietnam represents an important milestone, opening a new phase of more substantive, effective, and sustainable cooperation between the two ministries and the two countries.

Both sides will continue to maintain delegation exchanges, strengthen connectivity between functional units, and build a solid foundation for elevating Vietnam–Laos economic, trade, and energy relations to a new level.