The 23rd conference of the nine provinces of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand that share the use of Road 8 and Road 12 was held from February 27 to February 29 in the northeastern Thai province of Sakon Nakhon to review cooperation in 2023 and outline orientations for future collaboration, VOV reported.

The event featured the participation of representatives from the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh of Vietnam; Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, and Nong Khai provinces of Thailand; and Bolikhamxay and Khammouane province of Laos. It was also attended by representatives of dozens of businesses from the three countries.

At the event. Photo: NDO

In his speech, Chu Duc Dung, consul general of Vietnam in Khon Kaen, said the agency is actively boosting ties with provinces in northeastern Thailand, particularly those with overseas Vietnamese communities and bordering Laos, focusing on areas of trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, and health care in provinces along Road 8, Road 9, and Road 12; as well as boosting development in the nine provinces.

Participants consented to continue augmenting linkages in education, health care, culture, sports, tourism, science, and technology, including expanding partnerships in training human resources; supporting migrant workers to move freely in accordance with agreements within ASEAN and on the basis of each country's legal regulations; and strengthening information exchange on preventing Covid-19, monkeypox, and other contagious diseases.

Regarding transportation, they concurred to urgently request the governments of the three countries complete documents for constructing the Ha Tinh - Thakhek - Nakhon Phanom - Bangkok transport route; and co-ordinate to open a passenger transportation route connecting Quang Binh, Khammouane, Nakhon Phanom, and Sakon Nakhon.

At the same time, offer favorable conditions for logistics businesses in the nine provinces to set up partnerships in transporting goods via Routes 8 and 12 to the Vung Ang Industrial Zone of Ha Tinh province, Hon La of Quang Binh province, Cua Lo of Nghe An province, and delivery to third countries.

Chu Duc Dung, consul general of Vietnam in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Photo: NDO

They also underlined the need to fast-track the construction project of the Vientiane - Hanoi expressway via the Thanh Thuy (Nghe An) - Nam On (Bolikhamxay) intersection, towards facilitating trade, travel, and socio-economic development in Laos and Vietnam.

For agriculture ties, the localities also agreed to step up information and experience sharing in training and technology transfer in agriculture among them, as well as cooperation in combating the trafficking of wild animals along border areas.

The 24th event of this kind will be held in Quang Binh in February and March, 2025. The 23rd preparatory conference for the event is set to take place in Laos’s Khammouane province in September and October this year.

Representatives of 9 provinces of Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Photo: NDO

Late in the afternoon of the same day, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen coordinated with the Sakon Nakhon provincial government to organize a dialogue between Vietnam-Thailand governments and businesses.

Attending the event were commercial representatives of several Northeastern provinces of Thailand along with dozens of representatives of Thai corporations and companies and more than 30 Vietnamese overseas businesses in the Northeastern region of Thailand.

At the dialogue, many issues related to administrative procedures, policies to facilitate e-commerce, investment, and tourism, especially priorities to connect the Northeastern provinces of Thailand with other countries, were discussed.

In 2023, Vietnam was Thailand's second-largest trading partner in ASEAN and the 6th largest in the world. Trade between the two countries will reach nearly USD 19 billion by 2023. Of which, Thailand's exports to Vietnam account for USD 11.8 billion and imports from Vietnam are USD 7.19 billion.

More than 200 Thai companies have been investing and doing business in Vietnam in many different fields including renewable energy, retail, petrochemicals, industrial parks, banking, and agriculture. Currently, the two countries have more than 50 agreements and cooperation agreements in many fields and 20 pairs of twinned provinces/cities, the latest being the twinning between Quang Tri province and Ubon Ratchathani on January 18, 2024.

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