A view of the talks between Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Lao Minister of Energy and Mine Khammany Inthirath in Hanoi on April 4. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi(VNA) – Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Lao Minister of Energy and Mine KhammanyInthirath held talks in Hanoi on April 4 to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperationin energy and mining, and remove barriers for mining and hydropower projects.
The two ministers agreed thatVietnam and Laos must improve legal and institutional frameworks to further promoteand strengthen partnership between the two ministries and governments.
Vietnam will need to import electricity, Minister Anhsaid, suggesting in a long run, Vietnam and Laos should take into accountconnecting their national power grids. Plus, electricity interconnection shouldbe set up across ASEAN nations in the future, he added.
The two sides also agreed in principle the main contentsof the amended agreement on energy and mining between the two countries whichwill replace that signed in 2006. It is expected to pave the way for along-term partnership between the two nations in the fields.
The agreement includes a list of Lao power projects tosupply electricity for Vietnam and a plan to transmit electricity from Laos toVietnam as well as a mechanism for the two sides to negotiate electricityprices.
Besides, the two ministers consented to provide supportto soon begin the construction of the My Ly – Nam Mo I hydropower project.
Laos holds enormous potentialin the energy industry and expects to make it a spearhead sector to boost thelocal economy. The country targets an ambition of becoming the “Battery ofAsia”.
To this end, Laos aims toproduce 10,000 MW of electricity per year in various forms of hydro, wind, coaland solar power by 2020; 75 percent of which will be exported to Thailand,Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has turned itself from an energy exporter to an importerof energy. Energy imports are forecast to fulfil about 37.5 percent of thecountry’s demand by 2025 and 58.5 percent by 2035.
During the 40th meeting ofthe Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee in Vientiane last February, sixout of 12 agreements signed between the two countries were in the field ofenergy.-VNA
VNA
