Quang Tri looks to build up friendlies with Lao localities

Quang Tri wants to bolster its relations with Lao localities by facilitating new cross-border economic projects, said Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Hung on June 10.

At the meeting with Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh, Hung proposed that Savannakhet Province finalize drafting an agreement to set up the Lao Bao - Densavan borderline economic zone to draw both domestic and international investors.

The meeting between Vo Van Hung, Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee (right), and Lao Ambassador to Vietnam KhamphaoErnthavanh. Photo: Tran Tuyen

The Quang Tri official also suggested that Salavan Province join the development of an economic corridor connecting the two provinces with Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani Province.

He recommended that Lao government agencies upgrade and expand the road between Sekong Province’s Kaluem District and Salavan Province’s Ta Oy District, thus improving traffic from Lao localities to Lao Bao International Border Gate in Quang Tri’s Huong Hoa District.

“The upgrade and expansion of the road will increase coal trading between Vietnam and Laos and share the workload with La Lay International Border Gate,” he said.

Lao authorities should trim administrative processes to provide better trading conditions for Vietnamese businesses, just like Vietnam has done for Lao enterprises, Hung added.

According to Chairman Hung, the relationship between Quang Tri and Lao localities has progressed well in recent years. Quang Tri has inked agreements to establish partnerships with Savannakhet, Salavan, Champasak and Sekong to contribute to the comprehensive relations between Vietnam and Laos.

Among key activities are the organization of a workshop discussing ways to boost cross-border trade between Lao Bao and Densavan, and the development of the Quang Tri-Salavan-Ubon Ratchathani economic corridor.

Furthermore, the village-to-village friendship model works well for Quang Tri and Lao counterparts. For 15 years, the Quang Tri and Lao provinces of Savannakhet and Salavan have founded 26 pairs of friendly villages, thus tightening the bonds between the two nations.

In terms of education, Quang Tri Province has hosted 12 political training courses for 530 key officials from Savannakhet and Salavan at the Le Duan Politics School. The school is now organizing the 13th course for 50 Lao officials.

Additionally, from 2023 to 2027, Quang Tri gave 30 scholarships to Lao students in the province and supported Savannakhet and Salavan with their social establishments.

On her part, Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh cheered Quang Tri for the province’s recent socio-economic growth achievements.

According to the ambassador, Laos has also made significant progress in socio-economic development, however, difficulties such as inflation and increasing prices of input materials have undermined the country’s further growth.

The Party and Government of Laos have made ways to overcome these difficulties, she said.

The ambassador expected that Vietnam and Laos would reach higher levels of achievement in cooperation, especially when Lao holds the ASEAN chairmanship in 2024.

Tran Tuyen – Huy Anh