On Thursday morning, a group of Da Nang’s leaders, led by municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh, visited and extended their greetings to the staff of the Laos Consulate General in Da Nang on the occasion of their traditional Bunpimay New Year festival.

On behalf of the city authorities and people, Vice Chairman Minh wished Consul General Phommaseng Khamsene and all his staff good health, happiness and success in the new year.  He also took the opportunity to send his best wishes to the Lao Communist Party and government leaders on the occasion of this festival.

The city leader expressed his delight at the fruitful results from the bilateral cooperation with Laotian localities in such aspects as politics, the economy, education, culture, defence and security.  He said he hoped that these cooperation programmes would gain even more success in the years ahead.

Vice Chairman Minh (left) and the Laotian Consul General, Mr Phommaseng Khamsene

In reply, Consul General Phommaseng Khamsene thanked the city leaders for their kind concern and hoped that the Viet Nam-Laos friendship would be consolidated and strengthened even more in the future.

On the same day, some representatives from the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs met with leaders from Salavan Province’s Khongsedone District at the Khongsedone Senior High School.

The Department’s Deputy Director, Mr Nguyen Cong Tien, said “Da Nang always pays special attention to promoting the bilateral cooperation with the province, and other Lao localities in general.  I wish more Da Nang businesses would do more voluntary work in Laos.”

He also extended his best wishes to the leaders of the Laotian provincial Department of Foreign Affairs and the school’s teachers and pupils on the occasion of their traditional festival.

Mr Thomsay, Director of the Laotian provincial department, extended his thanks to the city authorities for their assistance with projects for his province over recent years.  Included were the building of bridges in Napi District and the development of an electricity grid across the province.

In 2000, Da Nang spent over 7 billion VND from its budget on constructing 10 new classrooms at the Khongsedone School.  At the moment, in attempting to develop this school into the Da Nang-Salavan Friendship School, a similar amount from the city’s budget is being spent on building a new classroom block at the school.  These classrooms are expected to be put into use in June.