On Thursday, Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh visited the Laos Consulate General in Da Nang.  His visit was to extend congratulations to Laotian staff on the occasion of the 41^st anniversary of the National Day of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (2 December) and the 96^th birth anniversary of the late Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane (13 December).

Vice Chairman Minh (left) and Consul General Khamsene

Vice Chairman Minh remarked that 2 December 1975 marked a significant turning point for Laos to become a country of peace, independence, democracy, unification and prosperity.  He affirmed that the Party, State and people of Viet Nam are always willing to support Laos during its revolutionary cause.  Recent years have seen the positive results from numerous cooperation programmes between Da Nang and southern and central localities of Laos.  Most notably, group of Da Nang leaders, led by municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh, took a working trip to Laos in order to enter into bilateral cooperation programmes with some Laotian southern and central localities over the 2017 – 2022 period.

The city leader also hoped that the Lao consulate staff would do their utmost to act as a bridge on bolstering the bilateral cooperation with some Laotian localities.

In reply, Consul General Phommaseng Khamsene thanked the city leaders for their kind care over recent years, and underlined that the time-honoured traditional friendship between the 2 countries have been lifted to new heights.  In particular, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited Laos between 24 and 26 November.  It was his first overseas trip since his re-election at the 12^th National Party Congress in January.  The visit was vivid evidence of the special traditional friendship between the 2 countries. 

Consul General Khamsene also spoke highly of the successful bilateral cooperation programmes between Laos and Da Nang over recent years.

Also on the same day, Vice Chairman Minh played host to the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs cum Vietnamese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Laos, Mr Nguyen Ba Hung.

Vice Chairman Minh said, “Da Nang is funding between 70 and 80 billion VND to Laos over the 2012 – 2017 period, and about 100 billion VND for the 2018 – 2022 period.  The money will be on spent constructing schools, offering more Master courses for postgraduates, and granting scholarships to children of Vietnamese people living in Laos”. 

He also vowed that even more favourable conditions would be created for businesses from Da Nang to cooperate with their Laotian partners in developing rice crops in Laos to supply for Da Nang’s consumers in the years ahead.

In reply, Deputy Minister Hung highly praised the city authorities and local businesses for their efforts in assisting Laos in effectively implementing many projects. He also vowed that he would make even greater efforts during his tenure to help Da Nang’s businesses to seek investment opportunities in Laos, and to export their products to this neighbouring country in the years ahead.