Vientiane (VNA) – Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party’s Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has reiterated Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City’s consistent policy of giving high priority to upholding special solidarity with Laos.
He made the statement during receptions hosted by General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President Bounnhang Volachith and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 23.
Nhan stressed the establishment of friendly cooperative ties between Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao province of Savannakhet as well as between the city’s District 5 and Vientiane’s Sikhottabong district during his current visit is a vivid evidence for the policy.
Informing the Lao leaders about the outcomes of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Lao localities, Nhan said the city stepped up a project on improving cow breeding in Vientiane, provided 49 scholarships for Lao students during the 2017-2018 academic year, inaugurated a reading room for children in a library in Xieng Khouang province, handed over a master plan on Parksong town in Champasak province and held investment promotion conferences in three central Lao provinces.
Nhan said he will share experience with Lao leaders and officials about dealing with issues faced by the city during the visit.
Ho Chi Minh City will offer scholarships to students in Vientiane – Ho Chi Minh City Friendship School, the Laos – Vietnam Friendship High School and Champasak Friendship Elementary School in order to increase ties with Lao localities, he said.
The Lao leaders their expressed hope that Ho Chi Minh City will continue supporting and sharing development experience with Lao localities in diverse areas, especially in education, tourism, cultivation, animal husbandry, trade and investment.
Earlier in the morning, Nhan visited the Vientiane – Ho Chi Minh City Friendship School and the Laos – Vietnam Friendship High School and pledged to grant two or three university scholarships for students per year in the next decade.
The Vietnamese guest asked for facilitating the exchange of visits and twinning between Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane’s schools.
In the afternoon the same day, Nhan is scheduled to share the city development experience with around 300 leaders of Lao localities before paying working visits to the central Lao province of Savannakhet and the southern Lao province of Champasak from January 24-25.-VNA
Vietnam, Laos issue joint statement
Vietnam and Laos issued a joint statement during the official friendly visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith from December 19-21.