Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane (right) greeting Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son. - VT
VIENTIANE: The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Laos and Vietnam have agreed to continue to resolve problems and complete agreed projects on time, especially the construction of Nong Khang airport, the Xekaman 3 hydropower plant, and a drug treatment centre.
The two ministries also agreed to source funding to implement strategic projects such as the construction of an expressway between Vientiane and Hanoi, a railway linking Thakhaek, the capital of the central Lao province of Khammuan, to the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province, and other key transport projects.
These projects were discussed at the 11th ministerial political consultation between the Lao and Vietnamese ministers of foreign affairs, which is taking place in Vientiane from Dec 16-18.
The meeting is attended by Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son, and his delegation, who are paying a working visit to Laos at the invitation of Laos’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
Participants reviewed past cooperation between their ministries and discussed future joint work and international and regional matters of common interest.
The two sides expressed their pleasure over the growth of ties in many spheres, including politics, defence, security, trade, investment, culture, education, science and technology, human resources development, and people-to-people links.
The delegations highlighted the growth in trade, in which the value of bilateral trade in the first 10 months of 2024 reached US$1.7 billion and is expected to reach US$2 billion by the end of the year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vietnamese entities are currently operating 256 projects in Laos with investments of US$5.5 billion, which are contributing to the social and economic development of Laos.
The two sides agreed to further promote Lao-Vietnamese cooperation in education and human resource development, with more than 14,000 Lao nationals currently studying in Vietnam and many Vietnamese nationals taking courses in Laos.
The Lao side expressed great appreciation for the grants provided by the Vietnamese government, which have been used for the implementation of various projects, many of which are progressing and running according to plan.
The two ministries also agreed to fulfil agreements on creating translators, training diplomats, and resolving difficulties in bilateral cooperation, so that these issues are effectively addressed.
They will continue to cooperate in economic diplomacy, such as rebuilding damaged border areas, maintaining order in border areas, and encouraging people living along the border to cooperate more in the future. - Vientiane Times/ANN
