The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on August 11 hosted talks between Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, and Souksavanh Vilayvong, Deputy Secretary of the Champasak Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Champasak provincial administration.
Following the talks, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for 2026-2030, deepening collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, education and human resources development.
Before the meeting, leaders and delegations from both sides observed a minute of silence in memory of President of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane, who recently passed away.
Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha noted that the visit coincided with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of friendship and cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Champasak (August 2001- 2026), providing an opportunity for the two sides to review their quarter-century of cooperation, assess achievements and establish a new framework for collaboration.
During the 2022-2025 period, the two localities maintained regular exchanges of delegations. In 2025, Alounxay Sunnalath, Party Central Committee member and Secretary of the Champasak Provincial Party Committee, led two high-level delegations to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Education, training and human resources development have remained key areas of cooperation. Ho Chi Minh City provides 55 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships annually for Champasak officials and students and has organized advanced political theory training for 15 officials from the Lao Province.
The two sides have also promoted people-to-people exchanges through the “Vietnamese Families with Lao Students Studying in Ho Chi Minh City” program, while maintaining cooperation in economic development, trade and investment promotion, and implementing several projects, including the Red Square project in Champasak.
Looking ahead, Ho Chi Minh City proposed that the two sides continue to strengthen political ties and maintain delegation exchanges, while coordinating activities to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2027.
The two sides aim to implement three to five specific cooperation projects, organize two to three tourism promotion activities and establish two to three business partnerships, particularly in tourism.
The city is also ready to introduce investors to explore opportunities in Champasak, focusing on high-tech agriculture, agricultural processing and improving rice productivity and quality.
For its part, Phimpone Phandanuvong, Vice Chairman of the Champasak provincial administration, affirmed that the province attaches great importance to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
He said that cooperation between Champasak and Ho Chi Minh City has become increasingly substantive and produced practical results. Champasak currently maintains cooperation relations with nine provinces, four cities and 13 agencies and organizations in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City.
Under the 2026-2030 memorandum, the two sides agreed to strengthen delegation exchanges and expand cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism and finance. They will also study the implementation of the Red Square project in Champasak, promote the establishment of a Champasak-Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Trade Center and facilitate investment by businesses.
In terms of education and training, Ho Chi Minh City will continue providing 55 scholarships annually and ten short-term training scholarships for healthcare officials, while supporting Champasak officials in foreign affairs, Vietnamese and English.
Champasak will continue offering scholarships to Ho Chi Minh City officials, civil servants and students to study Lao at Champasak University.
The two localities also agreed to promote youth exchanges and cooperation between their respective Fatherland Front organizations, as well as take turns hosting art programs, cultural weeks and trade exhibitions.
Mr. Souksavanh Vilayvong affirmed that the two sides would closely coordinate to translate the memorandum into specific programs and projects that deliver practical benefits to their people and contribute to strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
The memorandum, signed by representatives of both sides, will be valid for five years from the signing date.
