Thai Nguyen (VNA) – A ceremony was held in northern Thai Nguyen province on November 27 tomark the 45th National Day of Laos (December 2) and the 100th birth anniversaryof the country’s late President Kaysone Phomvihane (December 13).

Since its foundation on December 2, 1975, theLao People’s Democratic Republic has obtained a number of enormous andcomprehensive achievements, from economic, social, and diplomatic aspects tosecurity - defence.

Over the past years, the Lao economy hasrecorded relatively stable growth, about 6.2 percent annually, while people’smaterial and spiritual lives have been improved. The country has continuallypromoted economic integration into and cooperation with the world, attractingmore than 4,500 investment projects worth over 22 billion USD from 54 countriesand territories.

Vietnam is currently the second largest investorin Laos, with over 400 projects with total capital of about 7 billion USD.Bilateral trade is estimated at 5 billion USD this year.

Besides, cooperation in education, training, andhuman resource development has also been expanded. There are about 14,000 Laostudents at 140 schools in Vietnam now, including nearly 2,000 at high schoolsand higher-level educational establishments in Thai Nguyen.

At the celebration, Minister Counsellor of theLao Embassy in Vietnam Chanthaphon said the two countries’ great friendship,special relations, and comprehensive cooperation, founded and nurtured by latePresidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong, are the valuableheritage of both nations. 

They have continued to be developed and becomefruitful in all fields, from politics, defence - security, economy, culture,and health care to science - technology, by generations of the countries’leaders and people, according to him.

Highlighting efforts to promote bilateral tiesby the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of Thai Nguyen, Chairman of theassociation Nguyen Doan Kinh said this organisation will continue helping tostrengthen the two peoples’ friendship via communications about the countries’special relations, assistance for Lao students in the province, andpeople-to-people exchanges./.