At the invitation of Vietnam’s Party Chief To Lam, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his wife Naly Sisoulith arrived in Hanoi on the morning of January 26, beginning a state visit to the country from January 26 to 27.
A guard of honour of the Vietnam People’s Army and groups of schoolchildren lined up in preparation for the official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
As the national anthems of Vietnam and Laos were played, the two leaders stood together to observe the flag-raising ceremony. At the same time, a 21-gun salute was fired to mark the Lao leader’s state visit.
To Lam and Thongloun Sisoulith then reviewed the guard of honour before exchanging warm greetings.
The two leaders and their spouses later posed for photographs with children from the capital.
Following the ceremony, the Vietnamese party chief and the Lao party chief and president moved to the headquarters of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee to begin official talks.