Hanoi (VNA) – The 40th meeting ofthe Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee, scheduled to take place in Laoson February 4 and 5, will review the implementation of the two counties’cooperation plan in 2017 and set tasks for this year.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will lead ahigh-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government to the event at theinvitation of his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith.

Vietnam and Laos set up diplomatic ties onSeptember 5, 1962 and signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation on July 18,1977, which are considered important milestones in bilateral relations.

The two countries organised hundreds ofactivities during the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2017,attracting the participation of all-level authorities, sectors and a large numberof people. Notably, they exchanged nearly 300 delegations at all levels.

During the visits, their leaders reiterated theresolve to enhance the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity and comprehensivecooperation while unceasingly promoting cooperation quality for the sake ofeach country’s people and for peace, stability, cooperation and development inthe region and the world.

As of August 2017, Vietnam was the third biggestforeign investor in Laos, following China and Thailand. Major Vietnameseinvestment projects in the neighbouring country include the Sekaman No. 1 and 3hydropower plants, the power transmission line from Sekaman to Vietnam’s Pleikucity, a potassium salt processing project in Khammouane province, andindustrial tree planting projects.

The Lao Government assessed Vietnameseinvestments as effective projects helping to boost socio-economic developmentand create jobs for local people.

A number of meetings between the two countries’leaders and Vietnamese businesses investing in Laos have been held, showing thetwo Governments’ determination to strengthen economic partnership. Vietnamesefirms also affirmed that Laos is a potential investment market.

The two sides signed a new trade agreement and aborder trade agreement. In 2017, bilateral trade was estimated at over 900million USD, up 10 percent from a year earlier. Vietnam mainly exported petrol,oil, steel, vehicles and spare parts while importing rubber, fertilizer, oreand minerals from Laos.

[PM to co-chair ꦗVietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee meeting]

Bilateral transport connectivity projects havebeen accelerated within the framework of bilateral and Greater MekongSub-region cooperation. The sides have also worked to expand the one-stop shopmodel at Lao Bao and Den Savan border gates to other pairs of internationalborder gates along their border line.

Education-training is also a successfulcooperation area. Hundreds of Lao students come to Vietnam while a great numberof Vietnamese students receive the Lao Government’s scholarships every year.The countries have also implemented many projects improving educationalfacilities in Laos.

Cultural and tourism cooperation has continuedto develop with rising numbers of Laos and Vietnamese tourists to the other’scountry. Partnerships in health care have also been tightened, especiallybetween border provinces.

Meanwhile, security and defence ties have alsobeen enhanced in all aspects, especially personnel training. The two countrieshave done a good job of implementing security and defence agreements, finishedthe project on increasing and upgrading border markers long their sharedborder, and signed a protocol on the Vietnam-Laos borderline and border markersand an agreement on regulations on the management of their border and bordergates.

Both sides have also pushed ahead with carryingout the two Governments’ agreement on solving the issue of unregulatedmigration and marriage in their border areas. The search for and repatriationof the remains of Vietnam’s soldiers and voluntary experts have alsoimplemented well.

Vietnam and Laos have coordinated closely andsupported each other at regional and international forums and increasedcooperation with other ASEAN member countries in building the ASEAN Communityand maintaining the bloc’s solidarity and consensus in strategic regionalissues.-VNA