Vietnamese and Lao officials at the review meeting on Friday. — Photo nghean.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — A mid-term review conference was held in the central province of Nghệ An on Friday to examine the implementation of the Việt Nam-Laos cooperation plan 2024 and the bilateral cooperation plan for 2021-2025.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Trần Quốc Phương, Vice Chairman of the Việt Nam-Laos Cooperation Committee, said the two sides have basically achieved the six-month targets set in this year’s cooperation plan, thus substantially contributing to political stability, socio-economic development, and defence-security safeguarding in each country, along with the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Bilateral relations have been growing well, he noted, elaborating that their political trust has been unceasingly consolidated as seen in frequent meetings in various forms, especially President Tô Lam’s visit to Laos on July 13-14, and Việt Nam’s active support for Laos to hold the ASEAN Chairmanship 2024, the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and other high-level meetings.

Defence and security cooperation has continued to be carried out properly, helping maintain political stability, defence, security, and social order and safety in each nation. The shared borderline remains stable. The two sides have also worked together to effectively fight hostile forces and transnational crimes.

Meanwhile, he added that more progress has been recorded in investment partnerships. Many investment projects of Vietnamese businesses in Laos are operating efficiently, thereby contributing to local socio-economic development, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, rubber cultivation and processing, along with food and milk production.

The two governments have also issued strong directions to tackle difficulties facing their businesses. In the first seven months of 2024, Việt Nam’s registered investment in Laos increased 39.5 per cent year on year to US$36.7 million.

Bilateral trade in this year’s first half rose 11.1 per cent to reach $927.8 million, comprising $289.2 million in Việt Nam’s exports to and $638.6 million in imports from Laos, respectively up 7.4 per cent and 12.9 per cent.

In terms of transport and construction cooperation, the two sides inked memoranda of understanding on feasibility studies while field surveys are being conducted for some projects such as the expressway linking Vientiane and Hà Nội and the Vientiane-Tha Khek-Tân Ấp-Vũng Áng rail route.

They are also stepping up the implementation of the agreements and protocols on investment cooperation to develop Terminals 1, 2, and 3 of Vũng Áng Port, according to Phương.

Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Phet Phomphiphak, Chairman of the Laos-Việt Nam Cooperation Committee, shared views on some international and domestic issues of common concern, as well as the implementation of the cooperation plans for 2024 and 2021-2025.

At the meeting, Phương affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to and giving top priority to the maintenance and development of the two countries’ special ties.

He highlighted that in the time ahead, both sides should continue grasping the content of their high-ranking leaders’ agreements, the minutes of the two Politburos’ annual meetings, and the annual cooperation plan between the two governments.

They should also work together to augment ministries, sectors, localities, and agencies’ efforts to carry out this year’s cooperation plan.

Việt Nam and Laos should keep enhancing political and diplomatic collaboration so as to substantively intensify the political relationship to outline the general orientation for bilateral ties, he noted.

In addition, they need to promote the cooperation pillar of defence-security; coordinate closely to maintain political stability, security, and social order and safety in each country, particularly along the borderline; foster economic connectivity; and improve cooperation effectiveness in other spheres, Phương said. — VNS