The 2012 Laos-Vietnam Trade Fair was inaugurated on April 8 in Pakse town in the southern Lao province of Champassak .

Attending the ceremony were Sonsay Siphandone, member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Governor of Champassak province; Nguyen Cam Tu, Vietnam ’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and his Lao counterpart Khemmani Pholsena.

Jointly held by the two ministries of Industry and Trade and Champassak , this fair has attracted about 100 businesses from both countries with almost 180 pavilions.

This is the first international Vietnam-Laos fair held in southern Laos and is one activity of the 2012 Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and 35 years since the signing of the bilateral Friendship and Solidarity Treaty.

The event also provided a good chance for businesses to introduce their products and set up partnership, contributing to raise import export turnover of the two countries.

In the period of 2005-2011, Vietnam-Laos trade turnover grew at an average 27 percent each year, reaching 734 million USD last year. It is expected to reach 2 billion USD in 2015.-VNA