Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang province (Laos) signed a memorandum of cooperation for the 2023-2025 period.

Panorama of the talks between leaders of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces. Photo: Pham Bang

CLOSE NEIGHBORS, LONG-STANDING TRADITION OF COOPERATION

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Bunchan Sivongphan - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Governor of Xieng Khouang expressed his joy to welcome the delegation of Nghe An province led by Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to visit and work in Xieng Khouang province.

The Provincial Party Secretary and Governor of Xieng Khouang Province believes that the visit and working session of the delegation of Nghe An province will continue to consolidate and promote the fine, long-standing tradition of special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two peoples of Laos and Vietnam in general, and the two provinces of Xieng Khouang and Nghe An in particular, to become increasingly closer and bear fruit.

Comrade Bunchan Sivongphan - Provincial Party Secretary, Governor of Xieng Khouang spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

In the past time, despite many difficulties, Xieng Khouang province's political security has been stable, and all development goals have been achieved as planned. In 2022, the economy grew by 4%, with the total value of provincial product (GDP) reaching more than 4,651 billion Kip. Xieng Khouang attracted more than 2,325 billion Kip in social investment, including 9 enterprises from Nghe An with a total investment capital of 94.7 billion Kip...

Thanking the valuable and timely help and support of Vietnam in general and Nghe An province in particular for Xieng Khouang province in the past time, the Provincial Party Secretary and Governor of Xieng Khouang said that Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces will continue to cooperate in many fields such as national defense, security, trade, investment, education, health, agriculture - forestry, culture - tourism, border work, collection of remains, people's diplomacy...

High-ranking delegation of Nghe An province attended the talks. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the meeting, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province expressed his pleasure to visit and work in Xieng Khouang province, especially Phon Sa Van town with rich cultural and revolutionary traditions.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province emphasized that throughout the history of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and the People of Vietnam and Laos, it can be proudly affirmed that Nghe An - Xieng Khouang is one of the close neighboring provinces with a long-standing, deep and extensive tradition of cooperation, friendship and solidarity that has been increasingly strengthened.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Promoting that tradition, continuing to implement the Party and State's policies and guidelines on promoting cooperative relations with Laos in the 2017-2022 period, Nghe An province has strengthened and promoted cooperation activities in all fields with Xieng Khouang province, achieving many outstanding results, contributing to building an increasingly strong and effective bilateral relationship.

AGREEMENT TO CONTINUE EFFECTIVE AND DEEP COOPERATION

At the meeting, the two provinces agreed that in the 2017-2022 period, cooperation between Nghe An and Xieng Khouang achieved many outstanding results. Party foreign affairs were strengthened and promoted through delegation exchanges and cooperation between Party committees. On the occasion of the Vietnam - Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, Nghe An province has carried out many exciting activities to celebrate important historical events of the two nations.

High-ranking delegation of Xieng Khouang province attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The two provinces have coordinated well in border management and protection; investment and development support activities have also been actively implemented. Notably, the project to build Xieng Khouang Provincial Friendship Hospital with a scale of 200 beds, sponsored by the Vietnamese Government, with a total investment of 497,245 billion VND, with Nghe An province as the investor. To date, the project has completed the construction part and is in the process of handing over equipment, transferring technology and is expected to be inaugurated in May 2023.

Nghe An Provincial Police supported the construction of 7 village police headquarters with a total investment of 3.4 billion VND for Xieng Khouang Province; the province assisted the armed forces of Xieng Khouang Province with a total of 5 billion VND. Nghe An Province assisted Xieng Khouang Province in professional training for medical staff. Cooperation activities in the fields of culture, sports, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and science and technology took place relatively vigorously.

Leaders of Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang province signed a memorandum of cooperation for the 2023-2025 period. Photo: Pham Bang

Nghe An province always focuses on increasing support for human resource training for Xieng Khouang province. From 2017 to now, Nghe An has been receiving full scholarship training for a total of 264 officials, students and pupils of Xieng Khouang; organizing naturalization for 370 citizens of the two countries according to the Bilateral Agreement.

Border management and protection work and people-to-people diplomacy have also been effectively implemented, contributing to strengthening the special solidarity and friendship between the people and border protection forces of the two provinces in particular and the two countries of Vietnam and Laos in general.

Nghe An province presented Xieng Khouang province with 500 million VND to equip computers and office equipment. Photo: Pham Bang

Nghe An province also received valuable assistance from Xieng Khouang province in coordinating the search, collection, and repatriation of 555 remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos, of which 466 were in Xieng Khouang province.

After the talks, leaders of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces agreed to sign a cooperation agreement for the 2023-2025 period on eight content groups: Political and diplomatic cooperation; investment, production and business cooperation; cooperation in culture, sports, tourism, health, information and propaganda, science and technology, agriculture, forestry, transportation; cooperation in education, training, fostering and coaching.

Leaders of Nghe An province presented souvenirs to leaders of Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

Xieng Khouang provincial leaders presented souvenirs to Nghe An provincial leaders. Photo: Pham Bang

The two provinces also agreed to cooperate in border management and protection; resolve the issue of illegal migrants and unregistered couples living together in the border areas of the two countries; establish friendship between the two sides of the border and collect martyrs' remains.