Trang thông tin Tam giác phát triển Campuchia Lào Việt Nam

Panorama of the meeting. Photo: MPI

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung warmly welcomed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment of Laos Sonsay Siphandone and the delegation to visit and work in Vietnam. At the same time, he congratulated comrade Sonsay Siphandone, who is trusted by the Party and Government of Laos to assume the enormous responsibility of Minister of Planning and Investment of Laos from September 2019 and believed that, the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos under his leadership would continue to further fulfill the important role assigned by the Lao Government.

Speaking at the talks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment of Laos Sonsay Siphandone expressed his pleasure to visit and work with the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam as the Minister and hoped that the two sides would continue to strengthen cooperation for the benefit of the two countries. He also sent congratulations to Viet Nam for being elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council with the highest number of votes in history, which further enhances Vietnam's role in the region and the world. He believed that Vietnam would do a good job as the rotating chairman of ASEM and the Asian parliamentary president of AIPA in 2020. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Sonsay Siphandone affirmed that Laos would always follow closely and support Vietnam to carry out its noble duty.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment of Lao Sonsay Siphandone delivered a speech at the talks. Photo: MPI

To inform some highlights of the socio-economic development of Laos, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Sonsay Siphandone said that, Laos held a conference on planning, investment and implementation plan for 2020 on December 16, 2019. This country continues to maintain political stability, people's lives are gradually improved, and Laos' position is improved in the regional and international spheres. However, Laos still faces some difficulties in organizing the implementation, for instance, the budget revenue has not reached the set targets, the economic growth in 2019 has only reached 6.4% while the set target is 6.7%, etc. Especially, in 2019, Laos suffered from severe natural disasters, causing great losses of lives and property.

In 2020, Laos aims for GDP growth of 6.5%, focusing on scientific and innovative solutions suitable to the situation of Laos. The 9th Plenum of the Party Central Committee, Session X and the National Assembly's Session has given a comprehensive assessment of the clear-sighted leadership and direction of the Party and the Government on the socio-economic development in 2019 and development orientations for 2020 in the spirit of continuing to achieve the goals of the 10th Congress and the 8th Socio-Economic Development Plan as scheduled.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung congratulated the beautiful country of Laos for continuing to maintain its political stability, national defense and security, and the social order, better lives of the Lao people, improvement of its position and role across the region and the world. He believed that, despite the many difficulties and challenges, Laos would go further on the path of prosperity with the wise leadership of the Lao Revolutionary People's Party headed by comradeBounnhang Vorachith.

Regarding the socio-economic development of Vietnam, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that Vietnam's economy continued to change positively. Macro-economic stability is maintained, inflation is kept under control, average 11-month CPI increases by 2.57%, the lowest in the last 3 years. State budget revenue reaches 97.5% of the yearly estimate. Implemented FDI rises by 7.2% over the same period. Trade surplus is about 10 billion USD. About 126.7 thousand businesses have been newly established nationwide. The sectors of culture, social affairs, health, education, social security, science and technology, job creation, environmental protection, information and communication continue to be highlighted.

With respect to the preparation of the two Politburo reports at the Vietnam-Laos Annual High-Level Meeting in 2020 and the Document of the 42rd Intergovernmental Committee on bilateral cooperation, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung informed that, these documents were built based on the implementation assessment of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Agreement and Plan in 2019 and identified the focus of cooperation in 2020 and the following years. The joint cooperation committee already discussed this at the meeting held on November 25-27, 2019, in Vietnam. Through the exchange at this meeting, the two sides analyzed and assessed to prepare and submit a report to the Politburo in each country, and agreed on the main contents of the two documents of the 42^ndSession, including: Cooperation Agreement and Plan between Vietnam and Laos in 2020 and the Meeting Minute.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung spoke at the talks. Photo: MPI

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasized that, in 2019, under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, efforts of ministries, line ministries and localities, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation in Vietnam - Laos was strengthened practically and effectively, the implementation of the Agreement on Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Plan 2019 achieved the set goals.

Political – diplomatic and security - defense cooperation has been undertaken closely and effectively. Economic cooperation is attached special importance to. In 2019, Vietnamese enterprises have invested 05 projects with the capital of 67 million USD in Laos; trade grows steadily and amounts US $ 936 million in the first 10 months of 2019, up by 12.7%; Vietnam's aid to Laos adds up to VND 711 billion, a year-on-year rise of 19.1%, where key projects are given special attention.

Vietnam has determined that the focus of cooperation in 2020 is to fulfill the 10-year cooperation strategy for the period of 2011-2020 and the 5-year cooperation agreement for the period of 2016-2020. Vietnam also intends to formulate the next 10-year cooperation strategy and the next 5-year cooperation agreement in the innovative, practical and effective direction. Minister Nguyen Chi Dung was also pleased to announce to Deputy Prime Minister Sonsay Siphandone that, Vietnam's aid to Laos in 2020 was expected to reach VND 928 billion, an increase of 30% compared to 2019, adding to the total value of VND 3,250 billion for 5-year period 2016-2020 as committed. He suggested that the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Bilateral Cooperation Committee should continue to strengthen information exchanges, update and sum-up of the situation of mutual cooperation, coordinate with the related ministries and line ministries to draft and submit a report to the Politburo and complete the contents and legal procedures for signing the two Session Documents.

In terms of the time and venue for the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung informed that the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam had submitted to the Prime Minister the plan of hosting the 42^ndSession in Vietnam and awaiting the Prime Minister's directing opinion on this plan.

Regarding the cooperation between the two ministries, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung assessed that the cooperation between the two ministries had made new progress with remarkable results in 2019. The two sides have actively exchanged delegations to study and share experiences in each country. A professional exchange meeting between the two ministries was successfully held in June 2019, in Vientiane, Laos. This is an opportunity for officials working in the two ministries to exchange and share experiences in macro-economic management, public investment management, aid programs/projects, public procurement management, inspection, organization, etc.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam has welcomed delegations to exchange experiences on public investment management, to share the elaboration of the Planning Law, the Law on Cooperative Management. In addition, the Vietnamese side has organized 04 short-term courses on macro-economic management, statistics, economic zone management and public investment management for Lao Planning and Investment officials.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung suggested that the two ministries' offices be assigned to assume the prime responsibility for and coordinate with functional units of the two ministries, enhancing the implementation of commitments under the Agreement between the two ministries in 2019. The Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam will meet to the best of its capabilities the needs of professional exchanges and training in Vietnam from officials of Laos’ Ministry of Planning and Investment.

In particular, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung highly appreciated the cooperation of the two ministries in undertaking activities of the two countries' economic expert groups, who cooperated closely in discovering urgent issues in operating Laos’ macro-economy, especially, issues related to fiscal and monetary policy management. The Lao Prime Minister highly rated the spirit of responsibility, efficiency of the Vietnamese expert team, who directed Lao ministries and line ministries to study and absorb the proposed solutions proposed by the Vietnam’s side in order to adjust and concretize the macro-economic management policies with the initial positive results.

Delighted, excited and concurred with the shared comments of Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Deputy Prime Minister Sonsay Siphandone congratulating the outstanding socio-economic development results that the Government and People of Vietnam achieved in the context of the world economic difficulties. Vietnam is assessed to achieve a high economic growth rate compared to the ASEAN region. These great achievements show the wise guidance of the Party. The ministries and line ministries have adopted measures to remove difficulties and accelerate the country's socio-economic development. Vietnam's growth is a great motivation for Laos to study. He also sent special thanks to the Party, Government and People of Vietnam for always working side by side with the Lao people, especially implementing the bilateral cooperation plans. With the results of cooperation over the past time, Deputy Prime Minister Sonsay Siphandone totally agreed with the report by comrade Nguyen Chi Dung.

At the end of the talks, the two sides agreed on the time to organize the 42^ndmeeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation on 04 January, 2020, in Vietnam. Regarding the cooperation between the two ministries in 2020, the two sides will continue to actively implement the Agreement signed in June 2019./.