Electricity has been transmitted from the Vietnamese central province of Quang Nam to its Lao neighbour Sekong since 2009, which is believed to have aided the friendship between the two countries.

Dak Cheung district of Sekong province shares more than 140km of its borderline with Quang Nam’s Nam Giang district, and used to suffer from poor access to electricity in the past.

At an annual meeting in 2007, the twin provinces Quang Nam and Sekong agreed to ask the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to supply power for Dak Cheung via the Dac Oc border gate.

Phan Vu Dong Quan, head of the Planning Division under EVN affiliate Quang Nam Power Company, said Vietnam spent 30 billion VND (1.4 million USD) on constructing nearly 100km of 22kV power lines for the project. The Lao side also built their own facilities.

On December 16, 2009, when the Vietnam – Laos border marker No.717 was inaugurated, the power line from Quang Nam to Sekong was also put into operation.

Since then, the Quang Nam Power Company and its units have regularly examined and maintained the power line and assist Sekong in operating the facilities effectively.

The facilities have supplied 746,000 kWh of power each year to some 500 households in four communes and authority headquarters of Dak Cheung.

For the past years, electricity from Vietnam has helped give the Lao border area a facelift as it has promoted socio-economic development, aiding the material and spiritual lives of local residents.-VNA