(VOV) – The Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Sub-Committees met in Quang Tri province from October 26-31 to prepare for the 36th session of the inter-governmental committee in early 2014.
The meeting was co-chaired by Cao Viet Sinh, deputy head of the Vietnam-Laos sub-committee and Phonesouk Khounsombat, deputy head of the Laos-Vietnam sub-committee.
Vietnam has 413 projects in Laos with a total capitalisation of more than US$4.9 billion. In the past 10 months of this year, Vietnamese businesses poured US$138 million into 12 projects in Laos.
Both sides jointly implemented projects on trade, education, and social security and order along their common border.
Phonesouk Khounsombat, head of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee, noted 2013 is the second year both countries have effectively carried out the non-refundable aid programme which should be replicated in the coming year.
However, he admitted a number of joint projects are slow going that need to be accelerated.
He proposed the two countries seek to raise bilateral trade and increase cooperation in education, human resource training and other key areas.
The meeting approved the result of an earlier meeting between their experts’ working groups, concerning cooperation in politics, diplomacy, security and national defence; education-training and human resource development; direct investment; transport; and the use of Vietnamese development aid in Laos.
They agreed that most the targets set in the 2013 Vietnam-Laos cooperation agreement have been fulfilled. Both countries signed a government-level agreement to address residential migration and out-of-wedlock marriage along the border, and upgrade and increase border landmarks.
Priority was given to education cooperation and human resources development. Vietnam is currently one of the leading foreign investors in Laos. They increased cross-border trade, tightened border market management, and signed an agreement on labour cooperation.
Both sides agreed to focus on building village clusters along the border, better managing Laos students in Vietnam, building hydro-electric power plants, and using development aid in Laos.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
