Việt Nam’s National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou co-chaired a seminar held in the northern mountainous province of Sơn La. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

SƠN LA — Việt Nam and Laos on Thursday discussed the role of people’s councils in making decisions and supervising land issues at a seminar held in the northern mountainous province of Sơn La. Việt Nam’s National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou co-chaired the event.

Speaking at the seminar, the Vietnamese NA Chairwoman said following the two seminars on public debt management held in September last year in Laos and management decentralisation held in March in Việt Nam, the two countries’ parliaments had gained valuable experiences, which helped enhance the activity of their elected officials and of State agencies.

Thursday’s seminar, according to Ngân, was a chance for representatives from the NA, Government and People’s Councils to share experiences and lessons in the area of land management in each country, as well as of role and functions of local people’s councils in deciding and monitoring the implementation of laws and policies on land.

Ngân said the seminar not only helped clarify the role and responsibility of the two countries’ parliaments on important issues, but also reflected increasingly practical and effective co-operation between their NAs and Governments.

The Vietnamese Chairwoman asserted that the Party, the State and the NA co-operate closely with the Lao Party, State and Parliament and would contribute to the consolidation of the traditional friendship, and special and comprehensive relations.

The Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou, for her part, said land played a very important role in the socio-economic development of each country. Both Laos and Việt Nam had experienced periods of change in land management and use, she noted.

Although the two countries have encouraging achievements in socio-economic development in the new era, including the conversion of land into capital for construction and development, they also face many challenges in planning, management and use of land, according to the Lao top legislator.

She said that land issues in her country were similar to those that Việt Nam had faced in the past. Thus, she said, the seminar was an opportunity for representatives of the two countries to exchange experience and learn from each other how to solve land management and use issues. — VNS