Lawmakers from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are gathering in the Lao province of Champassak for the third meeting of the National Assembly’s Committees for External Relations of the three countries from July 10-17.

The annual event aims to discuss measures to boost the friendship and cooperation, support efforts of the three countries’ governments on the common development in the triangle development area, especially policies, as well as strengthen cooperation among three legislatures in general and exchange of information between the three committees for external relations in particular.

Apart from reviewing the outcomes gained by the governments in the triangle development area, the meeting is discussing the role of parliaments in law-making and human resource development in order to support the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam triangle development.

The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting, led by Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations, presented reports reviewing the implementation of agreements of the three governments in the triangle development area and proposed initiatives to enhance the role of national assemblies in human resource development in the three countries’ border areas.

The third joint communique is expected to be released at the end of the meeting, assessing cooperation among the three governments in developing the border triangle area of the three countries.

Each national assembly will look toward establishing a Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam inter-parliamentary subcommittee with the involvement of national assembly committees to supervise and support the implementation of policies related to the triangle development area.

To competently perform agreements of the three governments in the triangle development area, the three NA committees for external relations will call for ASEAN and non-bloc member countries, and international finance organisations to invest and provide preferential credits to socio-economic development projects in the area, especially to the area given special priority by the three governments.

The three committees will closely work together to accelerate the implementation of cooperative agreements on the area’s development between the three governments as well as existing bilateral agreements, encourage exchange of visits by national assembly deputies to the area and increase legislature-related information and experience sharing.

They will coordinate to attract more foreign investment and mobilise partners to take part in socio-economic development plans in the triangle development area.

The triangle development area consists of 13 provinces, including five of Vietnam , four of Laos and four of Cambodia . The area draws special attention from leaders and peoples of the three countries, considering the development of the three countries’ border area being of important strategic significance in terms of economics, society, security and national defence.

With meetings conducted on a rotary basis, the fourth meeting is scheduled for Vietnam next July./.