The event, held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, aimed to review three years of the implementation of the deal, inked between the Vietnamese and Lao governments in 2015.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) of Vietnam, Vietnamese investors have poured 5.1 billion USD into 292 projects in Laos, including 110 worth 2.7 billion USD in the 10 Lao provinces bordering Vietnam.

Lorries pass the Lao Bao International Border Gate in Quang Tri province, which borders Laos.

Those projects have greatly contributed to local growth and generated socio-economic benefits, thereby assisting the Lao Government’s efforts to ensure social security and reduce poverty.

Meanwhile, trade between the two countries rose by about 13 percent annually between 2015 and 2018 to over 1.03 billion USD in 2018, up 11.9 percent year on year. The figure is estimated at 594 million USD in the first half of 2019, up 14 percent, data of the General Department of Vietnam Customs show.

Thirty-six markets have been built along the shared border, which currently houses eight international border gates, seven main border gates, 18 auxiliary ones, and eight border gate economic zones.

These ports of entry and economic zones have been developing stably, thus creating a driving force for economic activities, including trade, services and investment, and improving the living standards of both countries’ border residents, the MPI noted.

At the meeting, representatives of border provinces and businesses also pointed out several problems in the agreement implementation, and proposed solutions.

Vietnam and Laos share a border of 2,337km that runs across 10 Vietnamese provinces and 10 Lao provinces.

Lychee enjoys smooth export via Lang Son border gates

(BGO) – The output of fresh lychee exported via the border gates in Lang Son province has recently accounted for two thirds of the total export volume nationwide. At the peak harvest season of the fruit, the People’s Committee in Lang Son province  instructed the sectors to synchronously implement various solutions to ease the lychee export.

Over 13,000 tonnes of fresh lychee exported via Tan Thanh border gate

More than 13,000 tonnes of fresh lychees, worth nearly US$3.5 million in total, have been exported to China via the Tan Thanh border gate in Lang Son province since May 13.

Festival connects ethnics in Vietnamese, Lao border provinces

A culture, sports and tourism festival of ethnic minority groups in Vietnamese and Lao border localities is taking place in A Luoi district, Thua Thien-Hue province.

Northern border defence war

 

Vietnamese, Chinese border localities seek stronger partnership

The Secretaries of the Communist Party of Vietnam Committees of four Vietnamese northern border provinces of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang and Ha Giang, and the Communist Party of China Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region held talks in Lang Son on March 22 as part of their New Year Meeting 2019.

Source: VNA