Vietnam-Laos cooperation strengthened
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will pay an official visit to Laos at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Thongsing Thammavong on September 9-10.
During the visit, the first one to a foreign country since he was re-elected Vietnamese Prime Minister, Mr. Dung will co-chair a Vietnam-Laos Investment Cooperation Conference.
Over the years the Vietnam-Laos traditional relationship and comprehensive cooperation have been strengthened through regular meetings and exchanges of high-ranking officials. Most recently, the two countries’ leaders have decided to make 2012 a year of Vietnam-Laos Friendship.
Vietnam is now Laos’s second biggest foreign investor with 252 projects worth US$3.2 billion. Vietnam’s export earnings from Laos in the first six months of 2011 reached nearly US$350 million (up 65.8 percent against last year’s same period) and is expected to reach US$800 million by the end of the year.
Both sides are actively implementing the signed agreements such as the 2011-2020 cooperation strategy, an agreement on cooperation in the 2011-2015 period and a Vietnam-Laos joint project on improving the quality of education and human resource training.
In addition, security and defence cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao localities has also been strengthened.
PM Dung’s is testimony to Vietnam’s consistent policy of giving top priority to consolidating and developing its traditional relations with Laos.
The two sides will focus on discussing ways to boost bilateral cooperation in all fields, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The Vietnam-Laos Investment Cooperation Conference, which is expected to attract hundreds of businesses from both countries, will review Vietnam’s investment activities in Laos and map out plans for economic and investment cooperation in the future.