Laos ’ Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath hosted a reception for a high-ranking delegation from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics-Public Administration in Vientiane on October 19.

The head of the Vietnamese delegation Ta Ngoc Tan, who is Party Central Committee member and the academy’s director, said that the visit aims to strengthen cooperation with the Lao National Academy of Politics-Public Administration (NAPPA).

He expressed his thanks to the two countries’ leaders for facilitating the cooperation between the two academies, which brings about fruitful results and contributes to celebrating the 2012 Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year.

On his part, the Lao Deputy PM thanked Vietnam ’s State, Party, people and the Ho Chi Minh political academy for their support to Laos , especially in political theory training.

He also highly valued the results of the two academies’ cooperation over the past time, and urged the two sides to continue strengthening experience exchange and cooperation in personnel training and scientific research.

The same day, by authorisation of President Truong Tan Sang, Tan presented Vietnam’s Independence Order, first class, to the NAPPA; the Independence Order, second class, to NAPPA Director Kikeo Khaykhamphithoun.

Also on Oct 19, the Vietnamese delegation attended a ceremony to hand over a new facility for the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, built with non-refundable aid from Vietnam .

The facility, the second phase of a project on upgrading teaching and working conditions for the Lao academy, includes a main building with 32 classrooms and staff rooms as well as a 62-room dormitory sitting on a site of 3,000 sq. m.-VNA