HCM City, Champasak foster in-depth ties

The agreement was made during talks on May 31 between Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang and Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Laos’ Champasak province Bounthong Divixay, during the former’s ongoing visit to the province. 

Bounthong Divixay expressed delight at cooperation between the two localities over the past years. Ho Chi Minh City has supported Champasak in infrastructure building, health care and human resources development, while both sides have held regular exchanges of delegations as well as joint trade and investment activities, he noted. 

He asked Ho Chi Minh City to help Champasak in urban planning, tourism infrastructure improvement and heritage conservation. 

Reviewing bilateral ties in the 2011-2015 period, the Ho Chi Minh City leader expressed hope that in the future, Champasak will assist Ho Chi Minh City’s investors in the province. 

Vietnam , and the city in particular, wishes to become the largest investor of Champasak, he stated. 

He also suggested that both sides specify cooperation goals, so as to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation activities. 

Following the talks, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Champasak signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on their partnership in the 2016-2020 period. 

Under the MoU, both sides will increase exchanges of high-ranking delegations as well as affiliations among departments and enterprises, while sharing information in fields of mutual interest. 

They will co-organise trade and investment promotion activities, thus connecting businesses. 

Ho Chi Minh City will continue supporting Champasak in human resources training by offering 20 scholarships each year to students at different levels from Champasak. 

Ho Chi Minh City will continue implementing the second phase of a project to design planning for Paksong town, while considering to help Champasak in boosting hi-tech agriculture.