PM chairs meeting with Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee, relevant ministries and sectors to discuss the implementation of the cooperation agreement with Laos last year and plans for 2018.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a meeting with the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee, relevant ministries and sectors on January 13. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi(VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with the Vietnam-LaosCooperation Committee, relevant ministries and sectors on January 13 to discuss theimplementation of the cooperation agreement with Laos last year and plans for2018.
The event wasalso attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs PhamBinh Minh.
According to areport by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the two nations exchangedmore than 300 visits at all levels and saw significant progress in economiccooperation in 2017. They have worked together to promptly remove obstacles andstep up trade and investment promotion activities.
Vietnam now ranksthird among countries and territories investing in Laos with 276 projects worthabout 5 billion USD in total. Accumulative disbursement has been estimated atover 1.6 billion USD so far, accounting for 32.5 percent of the totalVietnamese investment.
Vietnam-Laostrade in the first 11 months of 2017 exceeded 808 million USD, up roughly 10percent from 2016.
Joint projects intransport infrastructure and connectivity have been developed between the twocountries and within the region. The two sides are continuing to seek fundingfor key projects, such as 725-km Hanoi – Vientiane Highway and a railwayconnecting Vung Ang, Tan Ap, Mu Gia (Vietnam) and Thakhec, Vientiane (Laos).
Last year, Vietnamgranted 1,246 scholarships to Lao students, 246 higher than the number pledgedby the two Governments.
PM Phuc said that 2017 was a year of solidarity between the two countries andboth sides successfully organised grand ceremonies to mark 55th foundinganniversary of diplomatic ties and 40 years since the signing of theVietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation. The two nationsshould promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said, askingrelevant sides to effectively coordinate to carefully prepare for the 40thmeeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee for BilateralCooperation to be held later this year.
Vietnam will continue its support for Laos in socio-economic development, henoted, adding that inspections must be carried out to accelerate the progressof some key cooperation projects.-VNA
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Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has applauded close cooperation between the court systems of Vietnam and Laos while receiving Chief Judge of the Lao Supreme People’s Court Khamphanh Sit Thi Dampha in Hanoi
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Phung Quoc Hien hosted a reception for head of the Economic, Technology and Environment Committee of the Lao National Assembly Bounpone Sisoulath in Hanoi on January 9.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Lao Government to simplify procedures and reduce costs for getting visa, labour permit and resident status for Vietnamese workers.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.