Kon Tum, Champasak boost cooperation

The scene of the meeting between high-ranking officials of Laos' Champasak province and Vietnam's Kon Tum province. (Source: VNA)

Kon Tum (VNA) – The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum and Laos’ southern province of Champassak held a high-level dialogue in Kon Tum city on September 30 to discuss measures to boost bilateral cooperation.

The two sides agreed to create favourable conditions for businesses to study investment cooperation opportunities in the fields of their strength such as trade, tourism and mining.

Champasak, other southern Lao provinces and Kon Tum recommended the two governments soon invest in National Road 18B in the form of Build-Operation-Transfer (BOT), with official development assistance capital from Vietnam.

The Lao locality vowed to help Kon Tum’s transport businesses engage in goods and passenger transport along the northeastern Thailand – southern Laos –Vietnam’s Central Highlands and central coast route.

It will also continue assisting Kon Tum in seeking and repatriating remains of volunteer soldiers and experts who died during the resistance war in Laos.

Since a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation was signed five years ago, the relations between the two provinces have continuously developed through the exchange of delegations, tourism promotion, and transport facilitation.

With the coordination and support of the Champassak authorities and people, Kon Tum has repatriated the remains of 13 martyrs.

Speaking at the dialogue, Deputy Secretary of the Kon Tum provincial Party Committee A Pot expressed his belief that the two provinces’ collaboration will reap greater achievements in the future, contributing to enhancing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

Meanwhile, Niphone Viengpaseuth, Deputy Secretary of Champassak’s Party Committee, thanked Kon Tum province and Vietnam in general for their assistance to Laos in the past struggle for national liberation as well as for the current national construction.

Champasak is ready to make all efforts to maintain and cement the two countries’ special relationship, he stressed.-VNA