HCM City, Laos' Houaphanh seal cooperation agreement for 2022-2025

Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCM City (right, first row) and Vanxay Phengsoumma,  Governor of Houaphanh province of Laos (left, first row) at the signing ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) –  Ho Chi Minh City and Laos' Houaphanh province on March 7 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation for 2022-2025, aiming at strengthening their relationship in various fields.

The MoU was inked by Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCM City Phan Van Mai and Vanxay Phengsoumma, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Houaphanh during the latter's visit to the Vietnamese southern economic hub.

Under the deal, the two sides agree to continue to strengthen their political ties and promote the exchange of delegations in contribution to cultivating the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in general, and between Ho Chi Minh City and the Houaphanh province in particular, in a more stable manner.

In the 2022-2025 period, HCM City and Houaphanh will continue to create favourable conditions for agencies and enterprises of the two localities to strengthen investment cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, education, health, information and tourism.

Mai said the signing of the MoU will lay the foundation for building a cooperation programme between the two localities in the new period.

The city wishes to cooperate comprehensively with Houaphanh province, focusing on tourism and trade, he said.

HCM City is willing to provide scholarships for undergraduate and post-graduate students from the Lao province, exchange experience and organise training courses to improve qualifications for its officials, Mai said, adding that it is also ready to cooperate with Houaphanh in sharing experience in developing high-tech agriculture and agricultural products processing.

For his part, Vanxay Phengxumma thanked HCM City for its assistance to the province in recent years, especially in infrastructure construction and providing scholarships for its students. He also hoped to continue receiving support from HCM City in human resources training./.