Vietnam always gives the highest priority to fostering its special ties with Laos and is willing to share socio-economic development experience with the neighbour.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the statement while meeting with his Lao counterpart Bunpon Buttavong in Hanoi on October 7.

Both host and guest noted with pleasure that the two countries’ ministries and localities have coordinated closely to realise the conclusion of the 36th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee and prepare for the 37 th session.

They also lauded new progress in bilateral partnership, especially in economy, trade and investment.

Bunpon Buttavong thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their practical and effective support over the past years, pledging every effort to bolster the Laos-Vietnam relations.

He also expressed hope that the two countries will exchange their experience in socio-economic management and development more frequently, while directing ministries, localities and enterprises to work closer together to implement reached agreements effectively.

The same day, the Lao Deputy PM had a meeting with State Bank of Vietnam Governor Nguyen Van Binh who shared his experience in handling issues related to inflation control, currency market stabilisation, banking restructuring and equitisation, and bad debt settlement.

Bunpon Buttavong spoke highly of the role that Vietnamese enterprises as well as the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Laos (AVIL) and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) play in the economic development of Laos.

According to Tran Bac Ha, Chairman of BIDV Board of Directors and AVIL Chairman, trade between Vietnam and Laos reached 939 million USD in the first nine months of this year, a 45 percent rise year-on-year.

Of the total, Vietnam’s export was 298 million USD, mostly from iron and steel, fuel, transport vehicles and accessories.

Meanwhile, statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam has 413 valid projects in Laos with a total investment of about 5 billion USD, ranking second among countries and territories investing to Laos after China.-VNA