The Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Vientiane on the morning of December 19, beginning a two-day official visit to Laos at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Bouasone Bouphavanh.
Mr Dung and his entourage were welcomed at Vattay International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thoonglun Sisulit and other senior Lao officials. Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Huy Quang, representatives of Vietnamese missions in Laos and hundreds of overseas Vietnamese in Vientiane were also present at the ceremony.
Later, the Vietnamese delegation led by PM Nguyen Tan Dung held talks with the Lao delegation led by Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh.
While in Laos, Mr Dung is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and State President Chumaly Saynhason and meet with National Assembly Chairman Thongsing Thammavong.
During his earlier visit to Cambodia from December 18, Mr Dung met and held talks with Cambodian leaders who expressed their gratitude to the Party, State, Government and particularly soldiers and people of Vietnam for their great assistance and sacrifice to help liberate Cambodia from Polpot’s genocidal regime. PM Dung and PM Hun Sen agreed to step up bilateral cooperation and strive to raise two-way trade value to US$2 billion in 2010.
Vietnam, Laos aim to develop special relationship
Vietnam and Laos have established diplomatic ties since 1962. Since the Lao People's Democratic Republic came into being on December 2, 1975, Vietnam-Laos relations have entered a new stage of special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and States.
Politically, over the past years the two Parties and States have maintained high-level exchange visits. The Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee has also held annual sessions to draw up cooperation plans between the two countries.
Externally, the two countries have closely and efficiently cooperated in regional and international forums, especially activities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Mekong sub-region and the Gangi-Mekong River Committee. The foreign ministries of the two countries conducted four annual exchanges in September 2003, May 2004, April 2005 and May 2006, respectively.
Vietnam and Laos have gradually developed cooperation in economics, culture, science and technology. At the 28th session of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee, the two sides signed a number of cooperative agreements on economics, culture, science and technology in the 2006-2010 period and agreed to increase investment to promote trade and economic ties between the two countries.
Economically, two-way trade turnover reached US$165 million last year and US$160 million between January and August 2006. The two countries have taken drastic measures to promote trade and investment by offering preferential policies and reducing 50 percent of import tax on goods originated from each country, and build economic zones at border gates. Therefore, over the past two years, trade turnover and total investment value between the two countries have increased rapidly.
Currently, Vietnam and Laos see positive signs in the field of investment. Vietnam now has 69 investment projects in Laos, focused on agriculture, forestry, mine ores, electricity and transportation at a total capital of nearly US$500 million.
In the field of transportation, Vietnam has facilitated the transportation of import-export goods through Vietnam’s ports and has helped build a number of roads and bridges for economic development in the region.
There are around 17,000 Vietnamese living in Laos and 40 Lao people in Vietnam. The Government of Laos has always helped people stabilise their lives. In 1998, the Lao government granted Lao citizenship to a number of Vietnamese residents.
Currently, tens of thousands of Vietnamese labourers are working in Laos under cooperation contracts between the two countries.
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