Kon Tum and Lao province sign new cooperation agreement

At the MoU signing ceremony (Photo: NDO)

The 7-article MoU confirmed the two localities’ determination to continue to closely cooperate to ensure security, social order and safety in each province, contribute to the construction of the Vietnam-Laos border line crossing the two provinces, for peace, stability, cooperation and comprehensive development; strengthen the expansion and diversification of trade and investment promotion activities, and encourage provincial investors to seek investment opportunities and deploy projects in the two provinces.

Kon Tum province will offer 10 scholarships for officials and students of Sekong province to study at training institutions in Kon Tum under the University Program for the period 2024-2029. Meanwhile, Sekong province will provide 2 scholarships to study Lao language for the period 2024-2025 for officials and students of Kon Tum province under the short-term training program; promoting the organization of connecting tours and tourist routes to exploit tourism potential on the East-West Economic Corridor.

Previously, in April 2018, these two provinces also signed an official memorandum of understanding to establish a cooperative relationship for socio-economic development. On the basis, the two sides have actively implemented cooperation and achieved positive results, making an important contribution to socio-economic development, bringing practical benefits to the people of each province.

Prominently is the in-depth political and diplomatic cooperation, which plays a pivotal and directional role in the relationship between the two provinces. Coordination in management and protection of border security has been strengthened, while the agreement between the Governments of Vietnam and Laos on the settlement of the issue of free migrants and unmarried people in the Vietnam-Laos border area has been completed.

In addition, cooperation in economic-commercial development, health care, education-training, and twinning between the two sides of the border has been strengthened, contributing to the emotional connection between the two provinces. Specifically, Kon Tum supported the training of 20 international students in Sekong province, and sent 3 teachers to teach Vietnamese to provincial officials and civil servants. Sekong province supported and coordinated the search, gathering and repatriation of the remains of 10 Vietnamese volunteers and experts who died in wars in Laos./.