Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou speaks at a meeting with Lâm Đồng officials on March 7. — VNA/VNS Photo Chu Quốc Hùng

LÂM ĐỒNG — Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou has commended the co-operation between Việt Nam’s Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng and the Lao provinces of Champasak and Bolykhamxay in recent years.
At a meeting with Lâm Đồng officials on March 7, the Lao leader asked the Vietnamese locality to expand its collaboration with other Lao provinces, especially those with similar natural conditions.
She also proposed Lâm Đồng step up its affiliation with Lao localities in other areas relating to activities of the People’s Council such as meetings with voters, the settlement of petitions and complaints, tourism, high-tech agricultural development and the application of IT in administrative reform. 
Pany Yathotou also called on the province to pay more attention to vocational guidance for Lao students at Đà Lạt University. 
The NA Chairwoman and other Lao legislators raised questions about Lâm Đồng’s solutions in urban planning, tourism, high-tech agriculture and poverty reduction. 
At the working session, the Lao leader and Lâm Đồng’s officials expressed their hope for stronger ties between the two countries as well as their localities. 
Lâm Đồng, which has a population of 1.3 million people from 43 ethnic groups, completed 17 socio-economic criteria, with the per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) reaching VNĐ60 million(US$2,580) in 2018, reported Đoàn Văn Việt, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.
With the household-level multidimensional poverty rate at 2.91 percent, Lâm Đồng is among the 20 provinces across the country with the lowest poverty rate. 
Last year, Lâm Đồng welcomed 6.5 million tourists, he said, noting that it is also taking the lead nationwide in high-tech agricultural development. Đà Lạt is expected to become the first provincially run city in the country to develop into a smart city, Việt said. 
During their stay in Lâm Đồng from March 6 to 7, Pany Yathotou and her entourage toured farms that have applied high-tech practices, along with tourism sites in the province. —VNS