State President wraps up Laos visit

State President Trương Tấn Sang and Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone - Photo: VOV

Earlier, State President Sang made a tour to Attapeu province which borders Việt Nam’s central highlands province of Kon Tum.

There, he paid a visit to the family of Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone, met with the Attapeu Governor and visited socio-economic facilities invested by the Kon Tum-headquartered Hoàng Anh Gia Lai group.

Sang gave high estimations of Attapeu’s economic cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially that with the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai group in implementing the latter-invested social welfare assistance model, suggesting expanding the model in other localities in both Việt Nam and Laos.

He also suggested Attapeu in particular and the two countries’ health and education sectors in general to cooperate with each other in the exchange of doctors, nurses and teachers.

The Vietnamese State President resident said he hopes Attapeu will create possible favorable conditions to enable more Vietnamese businesses to invest in the locality as well as actively participate in activities to mark the Việt Nam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012.

The same day, State President Sang and Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone attended a ground-breaking ceremony for Attapeu International Airport. The airport is invested by the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Group.

Talking with the press on the results of State President Sang’s trip, Deputy FM Phạm Quang Vinh said the visit was successful, depicting profoundly the two countries’ special friendship and solidarity as well as their comradeship and fraternity.

The two sides reached consensus on the importance and determination to constantly foster the two countries’ traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, making it an invaluable asset that needs to be preserved and passed to future generations.

He said during the visit, the leaders officially launched the Việt Nam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2012 to mark the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the 35th anniversary of the signing of Việt Nam–Laos Amity and Cooperation Treaty.

Furthermore, the two sides agreed to beef up cooperation in all fields, ranging from politics, external relations, defense and security to economics, trade, investment, culture and education and collaborate in effectively implementing the results of the 34th session of the Việt Nam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee.

They showed their determination to strengthen the two countries’ economic ties on par with their established political relations to bring two-way trade to US $2 billion by 2015.

They also agreed to encourage and facilitate the two countries’ businesspeople to create more practical projects to benefit each country’s social welfare and economic development.

The two countries’ leaders affirmed to continue cooperating and coordinating closely at international and regional forums, especially the United Nations, ASEAN, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Mekong sub-region.

Việt Nam gave support to Laos’ bid to join the World Trade Organization and its organization of important international conferences this year, said Deputy FM Vinh.

“The success of the visit reflects greatly the special solidarity, loyalty, and closeness between the two Parties, States and people of Việt Nam and Laos. The two sides are determined to spare no effort to strengthen and develop the special solidarity forever,” Vinh asserted./.