(MPI) – From 28th to 30th July 2017, in Da Nang city, the professional exchange meeting between the two Ministries of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and Laos in 2017 took place. Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of the Vietnamese MPI, Chairman of the Vietnam – Laos Cooperation Committee and his counterpart Mr. Souphan Keomixay attended and co-chaired the meeting.
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Whole scene of the meeting. Photo: MPI
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At the meeting, the two sides informed the overviews of cooperative outcomes and the orientations for the time coming. New Bilateral trade agreement and Border trade agreement have been deployed actively. Connectivity of transportation has got good results. Cooperation on training has been expanding and effective, quality of training has been improved significantly. They highly appreciated political relations and foreign affairs between the two countries and emphasized to continue strengthening this close relationship and belief. Collaboration on national defense and security is increasingly tight; Vietnam and Laos have well coordinated to build a stable borderline and comprehensively developed border area.
Investment of Vietnam’s businesses in Laos has continued contributing to the socio-economic development of Laos with 408 granted projects and total investment capital of approximately US$ 3.7 billion. Despite many difficulties, Vietnam still aids 850 billion dong to Laos, projects has been deployed well, ensuring quality and progress.
The two sides assessed that implementation of Cooperation Arrangement for 2016-2017 period signed on May 15th 2016 by the two MPIs has got positive results, contributing to promotion and development of cooperation of the two Ministries in particular and bilateral relations between the two countries in general. Specifically, they provided general advices to effectively carry out the Agreement on Vietnam - Laos Cooperative Plan 2016 and promote Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Agreement for 2016-2020 period; Reviewed and agreed on statistical data of Vietnamese FDI in Laos; Discuss their professional works, especially planning, supervision, appraisal, statistics and management of projects using ODA capital.
At the meeting, the two Ministries approved some cooperative contents in 2017 and 2018 in order to continue developing Vietnam – Laos traditional friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation. Thereby, they will continue boosting the comprehensive cooperation on such fields as planning, investment; closely collaborating on operations of investment promotion in each country; resolving obstacles of investment projects granted with certificate.
In the time coming, the MPI of Vietnam will continue training on planning and investment for staffs of Lao planning and investment sector, focusing on investment supervision and appraisal, inspectorate, SMEs development, organization and management of office… Besides, the MPI of Vietnam will continue sending some staffs to train those of planning and investment sector of Laos at provincial level; exchanging and informing some professional publications, information and materials, issued documents on administrative management, programs, plans; Translating legal normative documents under planning and investment sector into 2 languages.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two Ministers signed the Cooperative Minutes for 2017-2018 period./.
Nguyen Huong
Ministry of Planning and Investment