Signing ceremony of the Agreement on Agriculture and Forestry between Vietnam and Laos

(Baonghean.vn) - On July 20, in Vinh City, the Signing Ceremony of the Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR took place.

Attending the program, on the Vietnamese side, there was Mr. Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and leaders of the general departments and agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. On the Lao side, there was Mr. Vilayvanh Phomkhe, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, and affiliated agencies. On the Nghe An side, there was Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, and leaders of relevant departments and agencies.

This is an activity within the program of the Annual Conference between the two Ministries in 2014 and within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the two Governments. Accordingly, the two sides Vietnam - Laos will promote comprehensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture - forestry, fisheries and rural development. In particular, focusing on the fields of science and technology, training, investment and trade.

Overview of the signing ceremony of the Agreement on Agriculture and Forestry between Vietnam and Laos

Previously, during the talks, the two Ministers highly appreciated the special friendship and solidarity between the Party, Government and people of Vietnam and Laos over the past time as well as the comprehensive cooperation in all aspects between the two countries, especially cooperation and investment in the agricultural sector between the two countries.

Delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, leaders of Nghe An province at the signing ceremony

The two sides highly appreciated the results of the implementation of projects and cooperation activities within the framework of the "Agreement on Economy, Culture and Science and Technology between the Government of the Lao PDR and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed on December 17, 2013 in Vientiane" and the "Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Lao PDR" signed on August 7, 2013 in Savanakhet, Lao PDR.

Delegation of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at the signing ceremony

Within the framework of cooperation between the two ministries, in 2013 - 2014, many important activities took place. The two sides exchanged delegations of high-ranking officials to share experiences in the fields of cultivation, forestry, agricultural extension, and food safety. Regarding training, there are currently 65 Lao students studying at the University of Water Resources and Forestry. The two sides also cooperated effectively in animal quarantine, forestry, cultivation, and irrigation.

In the 2014-2015 cooperation plan, the two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation in irrigation (Hua Phan Province Irrigation Development Planning Project). In the field of forestry cooperation, the two sides agreed to strictly control the smuggling of timber and rare animals across the border. Regarding trade and investment cooperation, they will continue to exchange agricultural, forestry and fishery products and investment cooperation programs, production and business in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fishery. They will remove obstacles and create conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in production and business in Laos.

Minister Vilayvanh Phom Khe highly appreciated the investment cooperation projects that the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has implemented in Laos. These include irrigation projects, field improvement projects to develop wet rice areas; and projects to develop cattle and buffalo breeding, which have brought practical achievements to the Lao ethnic people. The projects that the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has implemented in Laos in recent times, in addition to contributing to increasing total wet rice output, rapidly growing the herd of buffalo and cattle, have also contributed to training and transferring technical advances to the agricultural science and technology staff for Laos.

Minister Vilayvanh Phom Khe also highly appreciated the effectiveness of the project of planting nearly 30,000 hectares of new rubber in Laos by the Vietnam Rubber Group. At the same time, he recommended that Vietnam continue to send experts from the Policy Institute, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam to help Laos formulate policies on agriculture and "three rural areas" currently being implemented in Laos. At the same time, continue to invest in new projects in Laos to turn Lao agricultural products into commodities soon, especially corn, rubber and livestock products.

Minister Cao Duc Phat said that in order to promote the continued development of two-way economic and trade relations, the two ministries will include the above issues in the memorandum of understanding as a basis for proposing the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to jointly consider and handle the matter.

At the dialogue and exchange between relevant agencies, businesses and investors, Minister Vilayvanh Phom Khe raised the issue with the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group that it needs to pay attention to two issues, after having planted nearly 30,000 hectares of rubber in Laos, which is to soon build a rubber plastic processing factory in Laos; at the same time, pay attention to improving the lives of rubber growers in Laos.

Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, and leaders of Nghe An province witnessed the signing ceremony of the Agreement on agriculture and forestry between Vietnam and Laos in 2014.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam Cao Duc Phat and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos Vilayvanh Phomkhe signed the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development 2014-2015, in which the priority cooperation between the two Ministries in the field of Crop Production is: 1. Continue to exchange information, raw materials for breeding, 2. Build models for production and consumption of various types of seeds 3. Build demonstration models for intensive cultivation to increase productivity, product quality and propose solutions for reasonable land use for some major crops at the district level, on the basis of applying technical advances in new varieties, cultivation and fertilizers 4. Sustainable development on sloping land towards adaptation to climate change, reducing risks of natural disasters and ensuring food security 5. Investigate and analyze soil as a basis for zoning and planning the development of major crops in Laos 6. Cooperate in research and production of aromatic rice and hybrid corn varieties for Laos 7. Training Lao experts; 8. Researching industry markets, analyzing agricultural and rural development policies.

Minister Vylayvanh Phomkhe, Minister Cao Duc Phat, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee raised a glass to celebrate the success of the Annual Conference and the Signing Ceremony of the 2014 Agreement.

Leaders of the two Ministries took souvenir photos after the ceremony.

Minister Vylayvanh Phomkhe presents souvenir to Minister Cao Duc Phat

Clip of the signing ceremony of the Agreement on agriculture and forestry between Vietnam and Laos

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“The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will make every effort to fulfill its commitment to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries. There are also contents that directly work together that are beneficial to both sides, so we will mobilize the highest force to implement them. We always create conditions for businesses from both sides to cooperate effectively,” Minister Cao Duc Phat emphasized.

Tran Hai - Duc Anh