Hanoi (VNA) – The Embassy of Laos in Vietnam and Viet–Lao AZ JSC on November 14 co-organised the 2025 Laos–Vietnam Investment and Trade Promotion Conference in Hanoi, aiming to translate high-level commitments into concrete cooperation opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment.
Speaking at the event, Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh emphasised that Vietnam–Laos trade relations, built over more than six decades, are rooted in the special solidarity nurtured by the two Parties, Governments and peoples.
The two countries share more than 2,337 km of border across 10 Lao provinces and nine Vietnamese localities - areas with significant development potential and strategic value along the East–West Economic Corridor.
While bilateral trade, particularly border trade, has recorded positive results, the ambassador noted that challenges remain, especially in ensuring stable and sustainable border trade development and optimising each side’s strengths.
She stated that enhanced cooperation will directly aid in reducing poverty, fostering rural development, and improving the livelihoods of border communities. Additionally, it will contribute to establishing peaceful, friendly, and cooperative borders. This collaboration will help both sides work towards achieving a trade turnover target of 5 billion VND in the coming years.
The conference featured discussions on investment and trade promotion mechanisms. Experts highlighted new policy updates and incentives aimed at transforming Laos from a landlocked country into a regional land-link hub, as well as presenting strategic investment opportunities designed to attract at least 1.7 billion USD in FDI annually.
Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Nguyen Anh Son said that both governments have implemented important cooperation measures, including the 2024 Vietnam–Laos Trade Agreement and the landmark Vietnam–Laos Border Trade Agreement, which provides the legal foundation to boost bilateral trade. Over the past decade, two-way trade has doubled from 1.1 billion USD in 2015 to 2.25 billion USD in 2024.
In the first nine months of 2025 alone, bilateral trade reached 2.36 billion USD, up 57% year-on-year and the highest level in a decade. Border gates and economic zones have been upgraded, facilitating trade flows and supporting border residents.
Son recommended that both sides prioritise resources for transport infrastructure connectivity, develop logistics hubs at key border gates, modernise customs procedures and enhance electronic data exchange. He also urged the expansion of business networking, trade promotion programmes and training on preferential tariffs and rules of origin.
Also at the conference, the Viet–Lao AZ JSC (Vietnam) and the Hung-Aloun Logistics (Laos) exchanged their MoU on strategic cooperation in logistics and distribution. The agreement marks a new chapter in cross-border supply chain cooperation and reflects the strong commitment, strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos./.
