The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on Dec. 14 hosted a conference to promote socio-economic development cooperation between a number of localities of Vietnam , Laos and Thailand .

The localities include provinces of Kon Tum, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh of Vietnam , Ubon Ratchathani and Sisakhet of Thailand and Champasak, Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu of Laos.

Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Kon Tum Provincial People’s Committee told the conference that these provinces with their own potential and strengths will complement one another to create an abundant number of products and services in all fields.

At the conference, delegates suggested ideas for cooperation and agreed upon cooperative regulations in order to map out implementation plans in future.

On the basis of potentials and strengths of each province, the conference focused on measures to foster cooperation in several fields, including travel business, industrial crops planting, machine and equipment supply for agricultural production, forest resources preservation and development, energy, mining; and construction materials production.

The participants recommended the three countries’ governments invest in construction of road routes linking the localities, including upgrading the 50km-long segment from Bo Y- Phu Cua Border Gate to Attapeu province of Lao.

The three countries’ provinces will also consider establishing centres for exchanging information on trade, tourism and investment.

On the same day, leaders of the localities signed a joint cooperative regulation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, education and science technology./.