Businesses from the Central Highlands have injected over 1.5 billion USD into 35 investment projects in Laos and Cambodia over the past two years.

The majority of the money has gone into agriculture, forestry and seafood under 25 of such projects worth 1.2 billion USD, followed by mineral mining, industry and hydropower, according to the region’s Steering Committee.

Nearly 50 percent of the total registered investment capital of these projects has been disbursed, the committee said.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company (HAGL Group) is the largest and most effective foreign investor in the fraternal countries from the Central Highlands.

The total import-export turnover between the region, southern Laos and northeast Cambodia was estimated at 480 million USD during the reviewed period, an average annual increase of 12 percent.

The region mainly exported machinery, equipment, construction materials, medicine and crop varieties, while it imported wood, rubber latex and farm produce from the markets.

Covering an area of 54,700 square kilometres, the Central Highlands encompasses Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces.

The region is endowed with rich and unique cultural and natural conditions and striking scenery for tourism development.

It has a key strategic position in the country’s cross-border cooperation and the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia development triangle.-VNA