Vietnam, Laos localities uphold solidarity

The north central province of Thanh Hoa and the Laos ’ eastern province of Huoaphanh jointly hold the Vietnam-Laos Culture Week taking place from August 10-16.
The north central province of Thanh Hoa and the Laos ’ easternprovince of Huoaphanh jointly hold the Vietnam-Laos Culture Weektaking place from August 10-16.

The event with many art and sport performances aims to mark the 2012Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year, the 35 th anniversary of the Friendshipand Cooperation Treaty, 50 years of the establishment of theVietnam-Laos diplomatic ties, and 45 years since Vietnam ’s Thanh Hoaand Laos ’ Houaphanh province were twinned and the developmentcooperation between the two provinces were inked.

Since 2006, the two localities have signed a host of agreements onsocio-economic, national defense and security cooperation.

Annually, the two sides maintain high-ranking meetings reviewing theiractivities in all fields of cooperation as well as signing cooperationagreements for the next year.

The two-way trade hasgradually developed with the total of the two sides’ export-importrevenue reaching more than 27,000 USD since 2006.

Thanh Hoa province’s enterprises have established 42 projects inHouaphanh with the total investment capital of 13.5 million USDrepresenting 70 percent of Vietnamese businesses’ investment capital inthe locality.

The Thanh Hoa-based Hong DucUniversity and Health College have trained 150 Houaphanh’sstudents majoring in business administration, health, and agro-forestry.

The Vietnamese province has also helped its twin inthe health industry with many meaningful activities including trainingHuoaphanh’s medical workers, and offering treatment for more than 2,300local people.

Thanh Hoa also ensures its annual cost of training for the Lao locality.

Despite many difficulties, the province has still invested inHouaphanh projects such as the Phan Xam high school and Nam SamBridge in Xamneua town.

It also pledges to provide3 million USD for Houaphanh to build a Political-AdministrationSchool in Viengxay town and upgrade the Sam To-Bat Mot border gateroad.

For their part, Houaphanh province hasfacilitated and worked closely with Thanh Hoa to successfully excavatenearly 600 remains of Vietnam ’s volunteer soldiers in Laos .

The two localities are willing to create favourable conditions forboth sides’ enterprises to invest and develop their own business in eachother’s markets.

In an attempt to uphold the twocountries’ solidarity and friendship, the two provinces aim to achieve atwo-way ex-import turnover of 25 billion USD in the next five years.

Beside cooperation in economic development, thetwo localities have positively educated the residents in border areas tounderstand and comply with the Vietnam- Laos Agreement on NationalBorder Regulations in general and other signed documents between the twoprovinces in particular.

The two sides havecoordinated well in the implementation of upgrading border markers. Todate, they have both finished the identifying of marker positions andestablished 76 new markers.

Last July, the twoprovinces inaugurated Marker 281, and announced to raise level of theTen Tan-Xom Vang bordergate to national from local.

The two sides strive for a completion of their marker planting by late 2012.-VNA

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