Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Laos will boost coordination among and promote their relevant ministries, sectors, localities and agencies to well perform the cooperation plan between the two countries for 2024.
The consensus was reached at the mid-term conference to examine the implementation of the 2024 plan and promote the bilateral cooperation plan for 2021 – 2025 under the chair of leaders from the respective ministries of planning and investment held in the central province of Nghe An on August 16.
Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Phet Phomphiphak, Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation Committee, shared views on some international and domestic issues of common concern, as well as the implementation of the cooperation plans for 2024 and 2021-2025.
Since 2021, Laos has granted new investment licences to Vietnamese businesses to carry out a number of projects with a total investment of nearly 870 million USD. In the first six months of 2024, Laos licensed 6 projects to Vietnamese firms with a total capital of 339 million USD, including one project in mining, another in electricity and four others in healthcare.
Many investment projects of Vietnamese businesses in Laos are operating efficiently, thereby contributing to local socio-economic development, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, rubber cultivation and processing, along with food and milk production.
In addition, trade cooperation between the two countries has seen a continuous increase, hitting nearly 928 million USD in the first half of 2024, up 11% over the same period last year. Of which, Laos imported 289 million USD of goods from Vietnam and exported nearly 639 million USD of commodities to Vietnam.
On transport and construction cooperation, the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding on feasibility studies while field surveys are being conducted for some projects such an expressway linking Vientiane and Hanoi and the Vientiane - Tha Khek - Tan Ap - Vung Ang rail route. They are also stepping up the implementation of the agreements and protocols on investment cooperation to develop Terminals 1, 2, and 3 of Vung Ang Port.
According to the Lao minister, the two ministries need to continue strengthening comprehensive cooperation and closely coordinating to foster cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee, said the two sides have achieved the six-month targets set in this year’s cooperation plan. The results have substantially contributed to political stability, socio-economic development, and defence - security safeguarding in each country, along with the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Bilateral relations have been growing well, he noted, elaborating that their political trust has been unceasingly consolidated as seen in frequent meetings in various forms.
Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to and giving the top priority to the maintenance and development of the special ties between the two countries.
He held that in the time ahead, both sides should continue analysing agreements between high-ranking leaders, the minutes of the two Politburos’ annual meetings, and the annual cooperation plan between the two Governments. They should also work together to augment ministries, sectors, localities efforts to carry out this year’s cooperation plan./.
