Truong Tan Sang, member of the Party Secretariat, during his meeting with Lao students in the Hanoi-based National Economics University on February 23, stressed the need to intensify the training of skilled human resources for both Vietnam and Laos during the international economic integration.

He said that aside from the governmental cooperation, there were many cooperation programmes in education between the two countries’ localities and businesses.

According to Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Soonthorn Xayachack, Vietnam is Laos’ biggest training aid donor. More than 60,000 Lao students have been trained in Vietnam so far with many of them currently holding key positions in the Lao government.

The number of Lao students in Vietnam has been increasing rapidly, with some 3,400 Lao students studying in more than 50 universities in the 2007-08 school-year.

The National Economics University, which is leading in the training cooperation with Laos, has been presented with Laos ’s Friendship Order.