(KPL) The Laos-Vietnam co-operation has seen positive changes, which have helped accelerate the bilateral special relationship, participants at the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee were told.
The committee’s three-day mid-term session, which wrapped up in Vietnam’s Cua Lo township on 4 August, also heard that priority was being given co-operation in training, according to VNA report yesterday. The session focused on evaluating the six-month implementation of a Joint Economic, Culture, Science and Technology Agreement, signed between the two governments early this year. Measures to speed up the implementation of the agreement were also discussed.
The two sides applauded the close co-ordination between ministries, industries, cities and provinces between the two countries in implementing the signed agreements.
The export turnover between Vietnam and Laos reached US$196 million in the first half of this year.
Vietnamese businesses rank the third among top investors in Laos. By June-end this year, the Lao Government licensed 186 projects worth over $2 billion. Firms in the two countries also exchanged dialogue to tackle difficulties, and speed up investment co-operation in their respective countries.
The two sides have signed co-operation agreements relevant to industry and trade, traffic, food hygiene and safety. The Vietnamese Government has also sent economic experts to Laos to help the country review its renewal process.
From now till the end of this year, Vietnam will continue helping Laos train young people and successfully organise the 25th SEA Games. The two countries will also implement measures to improve training quality for students between the two sides.Other tasks such as reducing tax rate, import tax and simplifying customs procedures, creating conditions to raise import-export turnover were also put forward.
A minutes of the meeting was signed in the witness of Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Vietnam-Laos Joint Sub-committee Nguyen Sinh Hung and his Lao counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad.