HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc pledged to assist Laos in developing transport infrastructure and create all possible conditions for Laos to exploit Vũng Áng seaport in the central province of Hà Tĩnh to spur its socio-economic development.

PM Phúc spoke at a reception in Hà Nội on Thursday for Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport, Bounchanh Singthavong.

The PM told the visiting minister that the two countries will soon break ground for the Lao National Assembly House in Vientiane with Vietnamese funding, which he expects will be efficiently used.
The Lao minister said that under instructions from Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport discussed with the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport plans for the upcoming visit to Laos by Prime Minister Phúc.
He took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Transport for their assistance.

Nagasaki delegation

The same day, PM Phúc received Nakamura Norimichi, Governor of Nagasaki prefecture, who is visiting Việt Nam with a business delegation.
The PM welcomed the visit and plans to expand opportunities for co-operation and investment with Vietnamese businesses and localities.
He suggested Nagasaki enhance co-operation with Vietnamese localities, especially in the areas of Japan’s strength like automobile manufacturing and shipbuilding.
For his part, Governor Nakamura said that since 2015, the Japanese prefecture has sent nearly 100 business delegations to Việt Nam. A large number of them travelled for cultural festivals, especially in Hội An with a view to seeking co-operative opportunities.
Last year, the Japanese prefecture invited 300 Vietnamese students from HCM City to join home-stay programme.
Nagasaki has already formed close relations with Quảng Nam and intends to invite local authorities to the Japanese prefecture in 2017.
The Governor took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese side for its selection of Nagasaki as a training centre for Vietnamese athletes in preparation for the Olympic Games 2020.

Hyundai motors
PM Phúc also hosted a reception on Thursday for Managing Director of the RoK’s Hyundai Motor in charge of commercial vehicles, S.K. Han. The PM praised the automaker’s co-operation with Việt Nam’s Trường Hải Automobile Corporation (Thaco) in producing trucks and buses in Quảng Nam, as well as Hyundai’s goal of increasing the localisation rate in vehicle production in Việt Nam. — VNS