(sav.gov.vn) – Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman of Viet Nam, Mr. Tran Thanh Man, emphasized the need to further enhance the practical and effective partnership between the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) and the State Audit Office of Laos (SAO), during a reception held on the afternoon of 17 July at the National Assembly Office for the visiting Lao delegation led by SAO Laos President Mr. Viengthavisone Thephachanh.
Also present at the reception were Politburo members and Party Central Committee members, including Mr. Ngo Van Tuan, Auditor General of Viet Nam, Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee, along with leaders from the Office of the National Assembly and the Department of International Cooperation of SAV.
Chairman Tran Thanh Man warmly welcomed Mr. Viengthavisone Thephachanh to the National Assembly and congratulated SAO Laos on its significant achievements in enhancing its legal standing, strengthening institutional structure, improving professional capacity, and expanding international cooperation – all of which have contributed to greater transparency and accountability in public financial management in Laos.
The Chairman praised the close coordination between SAV and SAO, particularly their active engagement and mutual support in multilateral forums and within the trilateral cooperation framework involving the audit institutions of Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam.
He commended many practical and effective cooperation activities between the two institutions, which have been aligned with SAO’s professional needs and training priorities. Chairman Tran Thanh Man was especially impressed with SAV’s assistance in implementing the E-Office Project for SAO Laos during the 2022–2024 period, aimed at modernizing administrative operations.
Man reaffirmed that the Party, State, and National Assembly of Viet Nam attach great importance to and are committed to nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Laos.
Acknowledging the multiple cooperation agreements signed between the two countries, he noted that issues encountered during implementation have been monitored and addressed through joint oversight by both nations’ parliaments, an area of special focus under the leadership of General Secretary To Lam, who convened a midterm review meeting and directed both the National Assembly and the Government to take action.
The Chairman also shared updates on Viet Nam’s recent socio-economic achievements and highlighted the National Assembly’s legislative innovations. Notably, during its 9th session, the Assembly passed 34 laws and 34 resolutions, marking a historically significant session. The session also approved constitutional amendments to the 2013 Constitution and adopted legal reforms to streamline government structures and establish a two-tier local government model.
Looking ahead, Chairman Tran Thanh Man expressed his hope that the SAV and SAO will continue to promote their cooperation in a deeper and more practical manner through increasing visit exchanging, professional training, and capacity-building, as well as strengthened participation in international audit organizations.
“SAV Viet Nam is ready to share its experience with SAO Laos, particularly in areas of need such as anti-corruption and anti-waste,” he emphasized.
On this occasion, Man conveyed his respectful greetings to the General Secretary, President, Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman, and other senior leaders of Laos through the SAO Laos delegation.
In response, SAO Laos President Viengthavisone Thephachanh expressed his gratitude to Chairman Tran Thanh Man for the warm reception. He commended Viet Nam’s strong socio-economic progress, particularly its adoption of the two-tier local government system, and extended his best wishes to Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Viet Nam’s leadership.
He also highlighted that, following Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s 2024 directives, SAO had actively collaborated with SAV in developing a joint cooperation plan, organizing various impactful activities, and receiving crucial support in training, infrastructure development, and the E-Office project rollout.
President Thephachanh noted that under the upcoming 2025 constitutional amendments in Laos, SAO Laos would take on a new mandate: participating in the annual state budget planning process. “This is a new responsibility for us, and we are eager to learn from SAV Viet Nam’s valuable experience to better support our advisory role,” he said.
Recapping the morning’s working session with Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan, he confirmed that the two audit institutions had discussed future cooperation plans and co-hosted a professional conference focusing on two topics: envolvement of SAIs in the state budget planning cycle and the mechanisms for monitoring audit recommendation implementation. He concluded that the success of the conference provided SAO with critical lessons that will aid in fulfilling its responsibilities in involving in the national annual budgeting circle.