The second visit to Laos by Mr Manh within one and a half year is another vivid manifestation of the time-honoured friendship and solidarity between the two Parties, the two States and the two peoples, showing the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of attaching great importance to the consolidation and strengthening of traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in the new situation.

The regular meetings and contacts between the two countries’ senior leaders, ministries and sectors for many years have become a fine tradition that helps promote mutual understanding and solidarity between the two countries and create new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

Based on the orientations set by the two countries’ senior leaders, all-round cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has strongly developed in all fields. Currently, the two sides are focused on increasing the efficiency of key cooperation programmes in the 2006-2010 period, especially in energy, mineral exploitation, transport and industrial crop growing.

In the past eight months, the two sides have carried out a project to build Xekaman 3 hydro-electric-power plant, signed a memorandum of understanding on building Xekaman 1 hydro-electronic power plant, inaugurated a 111 km-long section of highway 18B stretching from the central highlands region of Vietnam to southern Laos and organised a number of forums to attract more Vietnamese enterprises wanting to invest and do business in Laos.

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Laos reached US$165 million last year and hit US$115 million in the first half of this year.

The increase in two-way trade turnover and total investment value is attributed to preferential policies and an open business environment for investors.