(VOVworld) - Promoting cooperation among the border provinces of Vietnam and Laos is an important task for consolidating ties between the two countries and maintaining peace and stability along their shared border. The mission has been reaffirmed by both nations’ leaders at a conference to boost cooperation between the Vietnamese and Lao National Assemblies that was recently held in Vietnam’s northern province of Son La.

Police officials of Son La province and Lao's northern provinces sign co-operative agreeements (www.sonla.gov.vn)

As one of 10 Vietnamese provinces bordering Laos, Son La has adopted many policies over the years to boost cooperation with Laos’ northern provinces. Provincial Party Committee Secretary Thào Xuân Sùng says border residents of both nations have supported each other in economic development, living standard improvement, and efforts to build a peaceful, friendly stable border. Sung says the province has signed comprehensive cooperation agreements in politics, economics, culture, defense, and security with 8 of Laos’ northern provinces. Both sides have increased communications about the traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and joint implementation of the Vietnam - Laos Agreement on Border Regulations and other Party and State policies. In recent years, both Vietnam and Laos have reached consensus on many measures to thwart sabotage, maintain security along the border, and tighten the friendship.

Other provinces in Vietnam have also strengthened friendship, solidarity, and cooperation with Laos to ensure security along the 2000 km border. Both countries have worked closely to develop clusters of communes in remote border areas, reduce poverty, and improve the lives of border people. Border localities have increased trade cooperation, a key to economic growth Vietnam and Laos are developing a project that will set up a border market network by 2020. This is intended to spur border trading and support investment projects between the two nations. Last year, two-way trade turnover grew 49.8% earning more than 700 million USD. Trần Văn Hằng, Director of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations says “We appreciate the efforts by both countries’ provinces to cooperate in building a border of peace, friendship, cooperative trade investment, and facilitating conditions for the two peoples to do business and assist each other.”

 

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou (source: VNA)

Delegates to a recent conference on cooperation of the two legislative bodies suggested the Vietnam and Laos’ National Assemblies adopt a fund to support these localities to encourage them in economic development and environmental protection. The Vietnamese Government has planned to provide annual financial support for human resource training for Lao border provinces. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc says “Cooperation in education, training and human resource development is a long-term strategic mission of the two nations. We should improve cooperation efficiency on the basis of mutual benefits to make remarkable changes in bilateral economic cooperation while facilitating conditions for provinces with or without a shared border to enjoy comprehensive cooperation opportunities.”.

Hong Van