A dancing performance at the celebration in Thai Nguyen province on November 27 (Photo: VNA) Thai Nguyen (VNA) – A ceremony was held in northern Thai Nguyen province on November 27 to mark the 45th National Day of Laos (December 2) and the 100th birth anniversary of the country’s late President Kaysone Phomvihane (December 13).
Since its foundation on December 2, 1975, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has obtained a number of enormous and comprehensive achievements, from economic, social, and diplomatic aspects to security - defence.
Over the past years, the Lao economy has recorded relatively stable growth, about 6.2 percent annually, while people’s material and spiritual lives have been improved. The country has continually promoted economic integration into and cooperation with the world, attracting more than 4,500 investment projects worth over 22 billion USD from 54 countries and territories.
Vietnam is currently the second largest investor in Laos, with over 400 projects with total capital of about 7 billion USD. Bilateral trade is estimated at 5 billion USD this year.
Besides, cooperation in education, training, and human resource development has also been expanded. There are about 14,000 Lao students at 140 schools in Vietnam now, including nearly 2,000 at high schools and higher-level educational establishments in Thai Nguyen.
At the celebration, Minister Counsellor of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam Chanthaphon said the two countries’ great friendship, special relations, and comprehensive cooperation, founded and nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong, are the valuable heritage of both nations.
They have continued to be developed and become fruitful in all fields, from politics, defence - security, economy, culture, and health care to science - technology, by generations of the countries’ leaders and people, according to him.
Highlighting efforts to promote bilateral ties by the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of Thai Nguyen, Chairman of the association Nguyen Doan Kinh said this organisation will continue helping to strengthen the two peoples’ friendship via communications about the countries’ special relations, assistance for Lao students in the province, and people-to-people exchanges./.
VNA
