On arrival in the province, President Sang and his entourage were warmly welcomed by the administration and people of Champasak with flags and flowers.

Immediately after leaving the airport, Mr Sang visited the rubber latex factory of the Vietnam-Laos Rubber Joint Stock Company – the first such international investment of the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group.

The operation of the facility with a capacity of 24,000 tonnes per year will help process rubber products on site, from a project planting 10,000 hectares of rubber.

President Sang praised the company’s investment in Laos which has created higher income and more jobs for hundreds of Lao workers and contributed to reducing poverty in the project area.

Next, Mr Sang attended the inauguration of the Paksong radio and television station, one of the projects using ODA funding from Vietnam for Laos’ remote areas.

The project will help Laos apply Party and State guidelines and policies in the area, thus improving the people’s lives.

The inaugural event is a vivid manifestation of the friendship and solidarity between the two countries, and a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the special Vietnam-Laos friendship.

Earlier on February 9, Mr Sang also attended a ground-breaking ceremony for the headquarters of the Vietnamese Association in Laos.