Vientiane (VNA) – General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith has recounted the close comradeship with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and shared what he learned from the late Vietnamese leader.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondents in Vientiane, the top leader of Laos said General Secretary Trong had in-depth knowledge in terms of both theory and practice about the socio-economic development in Vietnam.

The Party chief has conducted intensive research into Marxism-Leninism and the path to socialism, and most importantly, applied Ho Chi Minh Thought in his leadership, building a constantly growing Vietnam, Sisoulith said.

Vietnam has received many praises in the world as a nation with stable development and remarkable progress, he continued, attributing the country’s socio-economic development pace to the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) founded and led by President Ho Chi Minh.

Sisoulith also praised the resolute, sound and precise guidelines and policies initiated and directed by General Secretary Trong, which helped spur national development and improve people’s living standards.

The Lao leader held that General Secretary Trong systematically researched Marxism-Leninism and combined it with Ho Chi Minh Thought in reality, emphasising that the theories researched and put forth by him have become a valuable heritage for the CPV and the world.

Hailing the Vietnamese Party chief’s research works and books, Sisoulith said the path to socialism that Trong mentioned in his writings is the road to the new era of Vietnam, sharing his view that countries around the world and parties, both ruling and non-ruling, are all researching and studying the theories initiated by the General Secretary.

He added that he has received many pieces of writings of the Party chief from Vietnamese comrades, and will spend time studying them with a view to apply them in socio-economic development and Party building in Laos.

The Lao leader recalled that he had met, worked and had meals with General Secretary Trong numerous times, and was impressed by the Vietnamese Party chief’s capability and extensive knowledge.

The General Secretary put forward a consistent foreign policy, helping Vietnam stand out in the international arena in each period, he went on, calling the late leader’s outstanding achievements a legacy for future generations to continue his foreign policy.

"After every time I met and talked to him, I want to meet again and talk to him more, because his way of talking was close to Lao people, Lao leaders and myself, reflecting his openness and straightforwardness," Sisoulith said, describing each exchange of experience between him and General Secretary Trong was really between comrades and true brothers, with mutual respect.

“Although comrade Trong has passed away, the love, true gratitude, and respectable comradeship will forever be in my heart,” the Lao leader said.

He remembered that General Secretary Trong once told him that “We work together, we progress together, we learn from each other." He recalled that every time meeting him, Trong always said mutual support is very important, citing President Ho Chi Minh as saying “helping our friends is helping yourself.”

🍃 According to Sisoulith, he always repeated the saying of comrade Trong to other Lao leaders, officials and his own family. The Vietnamese Party also used to say that the friendship and solidarity between Laos and Vietnam are unique in the world, Sisoulith said, stressing that those words really came from his heart./.