Over the past years, Da Nang has constantly carried out many practical cooperation and support programmes with south central provinces of Laos in the spheres of education - training, trade and investment. Through these programmes, Da Nang has significantly contributed to driving the socio-economic development of the Laotian localities.

Over the past years, Da Nang has strengthened cooperation with south central provinces of Laos in many fields. IN THE PHOTO: Municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh (third, right) visiting product display booths of Da Nang businesses at the conference on promoting business and trade connection in Champasak Province . Photo: NGOC PHU

Cooperation in human resource training

Under the cooperation programme with Sekong Province, in 2009, Da Nang donated the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the province US$50,000 to build the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Primary School to meet the studying demand of Vietnamese children and Laotian citizens in the locality.

In 2020, the city granted VND9 billion for the provincial authorities to upgrade the primary school into a junior high school.

Despite the impacts of the COVID-19, the upgrade work was completed and the school officially opened in June 2021.

Deputy Governor of Sekong Province Khanti Silavongsa expressed his joy and gratitude to the Party Committee, government and people of Da Nang for their special support for his province.

“The upgrade of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Primary School into the junior high school has met the learning needs of the local people as well as Vietnamese children. We will direct the provincial education sector to use it effectively to deserve Da Nang’s special love for the local education sector” noted Mr. Khanti Silavongsa.

Vongviengxay Thongdam, who is a Deputy Head of the Salavan Provincial Television Station, could not forget special affection of Da Nang people.

Vongviengxay Thongdam recalled that, after being recruited to the Salavan Provincial Television Station in 2015, he was sent to the Da Nang University of Education to study the journalism major under the Da Nang-funded full scholarship programme.

After graduation, he returned to Salavan and was later appointed to Deputy Office of the Provincial Television Station.

During the 2002-2022 period, Da Nang has provided scholarships to more than 1,000 Laotian students from the provinces of Champasak, Sekong, Savannakhet, Salavan, Attapeu, Khammuon and Bolikhamxay to study in the city.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in training human resources for Laos in 2020, Da Nang commits to enrolling, and sponsoring scholarships and living expenses, for about 100-120 Lao students each year.

Currently, about 254 Laotian international students are studying at the University of Da Nang.

Boosting investment promotion, trade development

The Da Nang-based Thien Dinh Technology Development and Investment JSC has invested in organic agriculture in the south central provinces of Laos over the past years.

Director of the company Nguyen Van Giang said that Laos boasted many advantages for organic agriculture development, so since 2006, he has boldly invested in the south central provinces of Laos and received the active support from local authorities.

Till date, Mr. Giang has owned hundreds of hectares of land for organic farming in Laotian south central localities with the main products being cantaloupe, cucumbers, tomatoes, bananas and vegetables.

“Currently, the Lao government has agreed to hand over 500ha of land in Champasak Province to our company. I will send 20 agricultural experts to the province to promote the development of its agricultural sector and I believe that our company will expand the market and brand name not only in Laos but also around the world” said Mr. Giang.

According to Director of the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade Le Thi Kim Phuong, in recent years, the city's industry and trade sector has actively coordinated with the industry and trade sectors of the south central provinces of Laos to promote trade cooperation.

In particular, in July 2022, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade sent a delegation of businesspeople to participate in the Sekong Trade Fair, and held a conference in Champasak Province to promote the connection between businesses in Da Nang and those in south central provinces of Laos.

The conference saw the participation of 30 Da Nang businesses and more than 100 enterprises of Lao south central provinces.

During the event, four pairs of Da Nang and Lao businesses inked memoranda of understanding on cooperation.

Most notably, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade signed memoranda of understanding with the Departments of Industry and Trade of five south central provinces of Laos on boosting cooperation in the aspects of trade, import and export, logistics services, and East West Economic Corridor development.

During his working sessions with leaders of south central provinces of Laos during his working trips in early July, Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang suggested that the industry and trade sectors of Da Nang and Lao localities should further promote two-way trade cooperation. He also asked relevant agencies to facilitate Da Nang's businesses to expand their markets in Laos, and those in Laotian south central provinces to invest into Da Nang in the time to come.

Reporting by NGOC PHU - Translating by M.DUNG