Vietnam is set to take part in a major economic cooperation milestone in Southeast Asia as To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist party of Vietnam, prepares for a high-stakes tour of Laos and Cambodia scheduled for early this February.

His mission marks a significant push for Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam unity following the January 23 conclusion of Vietnam’s 14th National Party Congress and signals a deepening of strategic cooperation across the three Indochinese nations and Mekong sub-region.

This high-level “Indochina talk” framework is expected to focus on cross-border infrastructure, trade security and shared political objectives. By bringing together the top leadership of the three traditional allies, the visit aims to create a new turning point for stability and sustainable development throughout the peninsula.

The tour is set to begin on February 5 in Laos, where To Lam will conduct an official visit at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary party, who is also the country’s state president.

The visit is designed, the Vietnamese foreign ministry says, “to strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation” that characterizes the strategic partnership between Hanoi and Vientiane.

This visit comes just after the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary party in January, emphasizing the synchronized political cycles of the two neighbours. After that, President Sisoulith, accompanied by his spouse Naly Sisoulith, paid a state visit to Vietnam on January 26–27.

Following the proceedings in Laos, the Vietnamese party leader is set to arrive in Phnom Penh on February 6 for a state visit to Cambodia. This leg of the tour, at the invitation of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni, carries weight as it integrates three distinct high-level engagements.

Beyond his audience with the king to reinforce bilateral cooperation, Lam will co-chair a summit between the Vietnamese politburo and the Cambodian People’s party ( CPP ) leadership at the invitation of CPP president Hun Sen, who is also president of the Senate of Cambodia.

The focal point of the mission slated for February 6 is a rare and critical trilateral leadership meeting. In Phnom Penh, the heads of the ruling parties of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam – Hun Sen, Sisoulith and Lam – are set to convene for a joint session intended to align regional policies and security.