Vientiane (VNA) – An inauguration and handover ceremony for the Friendship Primary and Secondary School to the Association of Vietnamese in Salavan was held in the southern Lao province on April 2.
Funded by Da Nang city, the project includes a two-storey building with five classrooms, two offices and supporting facilities, at a total cost of nearly 6 billion VND (about 228,000 USD). Once operational, it is expected to improve educational infrastructure in Khongsedone district and Salavan province in general.
The event was attended by leaders of Da Nang and Salavan, the Vietnamese Consul General in Pakse, the Lao Consul General in Da Nang, representatives of relevant agencies, and members of the Vietnamese community in Salavan.
Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Phan Thai Binh said the project reflects efforts to further strengthen cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao localities, grounded in the two countries’ great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.
He noted that Da Nang has implemented various support programmes for Salavan in recent years, with education and training identified as a strategic focus. The city has provided annual scholarships for officials and students from Salavan to study at the University of Da Nang, while supporting the construction of educational facilities such as the Da Nang–Salavan Friendship Secondary School and a Vietnamese language centre. Support has also been extended to the Vietnamese community in the province.
For his part, Vice Chairman of the Salavan provincial administration Venphet Latdavong highlighted Da Nang’s continued assistance across socio-economic development, disaster response and disease prevention, with education and human resource training emerging as the most prominent area of cooperation.
Each year, Da Nang grants 30 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate studies to officials, students and members of the Vietnamese community in Salavan. It has also sent teachers to the local Vietnamese language centre to meet training needs.
The oficial stressed that investing in educational infrastructure and human resource development is a key policy contributing to national development, improved living standards and the implementation of Salavan’s sustainable development goals.
He described the upgrade of the Friendship Primary School into a primary and secondary school as a symbol of the special Vietnam–Laos relationship and the effective cooperation between Da Nang and Salavan.
The school is scheduled to begin operation in the 2026–2027 academic year, serving as a lasting testament to the two countries’ enduring ties./.
