Manh made his request while receiving President of the Lao Women's Union (LWU) Sisay Leuded-mounsone, who is attending the 14th ASEAN Council of Women's Organisations (ACWO) General Assembly in Ha Noi.
Manh added that the LWU delegation's visit was a demonstration of Laos's support for Viet Nam's chair of ASEAN.
The Party leader spoke highly of the co-operation between the Vietnamese and Lao women's unions, which he said had contributed to deepening the special relationship between the two countries.
The Vietnamese Party, State and people always attached great significance to Viet Nam-Laos special relations, which have led to prosperity, peace and development in the region and the world, he said.
Manh asked Leudedmounsone to convey his regards to Choummaly Saysone, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and president of the country.
Leudedmounsone congratulated the Vietnamese people on the country's renewal and said she hoped Viet Nam would successfully implement the Resolution of the 10th National Party Congress.
She thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for the invaluable assistance they had given Laos, and said she highly appreciated the work the country had done in organising the 14th ACWO General Assembly. She added that it was an important forum for ASEAN women to exchange opinions, enhance mutual understanding and boost co-operation.
Praise for female deputies
On the same day, the Party leader met National Assembly female deputies on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Viet Nam Women's Union.
He applauded the contribution made by female deputies to law building in the country and praised the work of female lawmakers who had formed themselves into a group on May 15, 2008, in order to promote gender equality and women's issues.
Manh said promoting equality among the sexes had been the policy of the Party since its formation. He stressed that the Party would strive to increase the number of female deputies in the next National Assembly to at least 30 per cent.
Truong Thi Mai, president of the Vietnamese female parliamentary group, said 100 female deputies now belonged to the group. — VNS
