Vietnam and Laos will focus on implementing high-level agreements reached by their top leaders and successfully organizing their Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012. The agreement was reached at the 34th session of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Cultural, Educational and Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Vientiane, Laos last week. The meeting was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Lao counterpart Somsavath Lengsavad. Both sides agreed effectively implement their trade development scheme for 2008-2015 to raise two-way trade to US$2 billion by 2015. They will complete the formulation of the Vietnam-Laos border trade development master plan. Deputy PM Phuc and his Lao counterpart Somsavath Lengsavad signed the minutes of the session and a cooperation agreement in 2012.

During his stay in Laos, Deputy PM Phuc visited the Vietnamese Embassy, That Luong trade center and Vientiane golf course and real estate project site, which will be upgraded to a special economic zone between Vietnamese and Lao companies.