A Party official of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has committed to helping the Lao province of Xekong to develop in a comprehensive way.

The commitment was made during the talks between Secretary of the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial Party Committee Ho Xuan Man and visiting Xekong Party Committee Secretary and Governor Khampheuy Boudavieng in the former imperial city of Hue on August 5.

Beginning in 2010, Thua Thien-Hue will provide 10 full scholarships for Lao students to study in Hue every year. These students will receive food and housing assistance and will have their own dormitory area.

The province will also provide books, notebooks, computers and other school supplies for Xekong pupils.

The two sides agreed to ask their governments to allow the two provinces to use Vietnam’s ODA or preferential capital for Laos to complete the construction of the A Dot-Ta Vang border gate. In addition, Thua Thien-Hue will give Xekong 400 million VND to connect electricity to the border gate.

In 2009 and 2010, Thua Thien Hue provided Xekong with a relief package of 60 tonnes of rice and 100 million VND to help the latter recover from storms and floods. It also doled out medicine to Xekong people and helped them build 42 houses, and two classrooms worth 290 million VND. In the same period, Thua Thien-Hue accepted 45 Xekong students to its universities and colleges.

The chief of Xekong province promised to create incentives for Thua Thien-Hue companies to invest in Kalum district’s rubber planting and afforestation and to cooperate with Thua Thien-Hue in repatriating the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers and experts, who sacrificed their lives during the wartime.

In addition, Xekong will boost eco-tourism along the border and prepare to build more border markers.

The provinces share 63km of borderline and manage seven national border markers./.