Bilateral talks between Vietnamese Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh and Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport

On May 29th, 2026, a bilateral meeting took place in Hanoi between the Minister of Construction of Vietnam, Tran Hong Minh, and the Minister of Public Works and Transport of Laos, Leklay Sivilay, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and promote the implementation of strategic transportation and infrastructure projects between the two countries. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Laos to Vietnam and leaders of units from both Ministries attended the meeting.

During the talks, Minister Leklay Sivilay expressed his delight at visiting and working with the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam. He sincerely thanked Minister Tran Hong Minh for the warm welcome, which vividly reflected the special friendship and close bonds between Vietnam and Laos.

Minister Tran Hong Minh delivered a speech at the talks.

Minister Leklay Sivilay shared, prior to the bilateral talks with the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction, the delegation of the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport had visited and worked in Da Nang and Ha Tinh to exchange experiences in transport infrastructure, logistics, and urban development, as well as to conduct field visits to several projects serving regional connectivity.

According to Minister Leklay Sivilay, in recent years, Vietnam and Laos have achieved positive results in the implementation of strategic connectivity projects as the directed by the senior leaders of the two Parties and States. Laos is currently focusing on promoting key projects such as the Hanoi–Vientiane expressway and the Vung Ang–Mu Gia–Thakhek–Vientiane railway line; while also strengthening cross-border transport connectivity, improving the regulatory framework for road transport cooperation, and enhancing the quality of human resources in the transport and construction sectors.

Minister Leklay Sivilay delivered a speech at the talks.

Emphasizing that infrastructure connectivity plays an important role in promoting economic linkages and people-to-people exchanges, Minister Leklay Sivilay expressed his hope to continue receiving close coordination and support from the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam in the implementation of key cooperation projects in the coming period.

Welcoming Minister Leklay Sivilay and the delegation of the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport to visit and work with the Ministry of Construction, Minister Tran Hong Minh affirmed that Vietnam always values and prioritizes comprehensive cooperation with Laos, particularly in the fields of transport and strategic infrastructure connectivity.

Minister Tran Hong Minh and Minister Leklay Sivilay witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between businesses of the two countries.

Highly appreciating the close and effective coordination between the two Ministries in the past, Minister Tran Hong Minh emphasized that many important cooperation projects are being actively promoted by both sides, contributing to expanding development space, strengthening economic linkages and enhancing regional connectivity.

Regarding the investment project for berths 1, 2, and 3 of Vung Ang Port, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction will continue to closely coordinate with the Lao side and Ha Tinh province to create favorable conditions for port operations and promote the flow of Lao goods through Vietnam's seaport system.

Minister Tran Hong Minh and Minister Leklay Sivilay signed the Minutes of Meeting between the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Laos.

Regarding the Hanoi–Vientiane Expressway project, Minister Tran Hong Minh noted that Vietnam had commenced construction of the Vinh–Thanh Thuy section on 18th May and proposed that both sides continue to closely coordinate in advancing the implementation of the sections on the Lao side to ensure seamless and efficient connectivity along the entire route.

Meanwhile, the Vung Ang–Mu Gia–Thakhek–Vientiane Railway Project is being expedited. This project carries long-term strategic significance, contributing to the promotion of economic and trade cooperation as well as enhancing international intermodal transport capacity across the region.

Overview of the talks.

At the conclusion of the talks, after witnessing the exchange of cooperation documents between enterprises of the two countries, Minister Tran Hong Minh and Minister Leklay Sivilay signed the Minutes of Meeting between the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Laos.

The two ministers also agreed to further strengthen information exchange and enhance coordination among relevant authorities and the business communities of both countries in order to accelerate the implementation of bilateral cooperation projects, thereby contributing to the realization of the major cooperation orientations directed by the senior leaders of the two Parties and the two States.