Laos agrees with Vietnam's proposal on constructing Vientiane-Hanoi expressway

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith in Hanoi on October 25.
The talks were organised on the occasion of the Lao PM’s participation in the seventh Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS 7) Summit, the eighth Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Cooperation (CLMV 8) Summit, and the World Economic Forum on the Mekong Region (WEF-Mekong) in Hanoi. 
The PM affirmed the Lao PM’s presence will contribute to the success of these events. 
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated Laos on its successful organisation of the 28th – 29th ASEAN Summits as ASEAN Chair, and believing that the Lao Government will fulfill the set tasks and the Resolution of the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. 
During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers agreed to task the two ministries of industry and trade with devising solutions for boosting bilateral trade and better implementing the Vietnam-Laos border trade agreement. 
The two Government leaders also pledged to urge Vietnamese enterprises to carry out projects, particularly those on hydropower and mining, in Laos on schedule. 
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc also welcomed PM Thongloun Sisoulith’s recent dialogue with Vietnamese businesses and his pledge to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors in Laos. 

For his part, PM Thongloun Sisoulith extended condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam on the heavy damage affected by flood on the central region. 
The Lao PM applauded Vietnam’s initiative to organise the WEF-Mekong and thanked Vietnam for its support of Laos in fulfilling the role as ASEAN Chair in 2016 and in successfully organising the ASEAN Summits last September. 
He highlighted that Vietnam’s investment in Laos has been growing strongly and has considerably contributed to local socio-economic development, adding that Vietnam currently ranks third among foreign investors in his country. 
The two Prime Ministers agreed that the two Governments will set up a committee for organising activities marking the 55th founding anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties and 40 years since the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty. 
The two Government leaders also agreed to set up a specific mechanism for their meetings and attending sessions of the Inter-governmental Committee on cooperation in order to swiftly address problems in bilateral relations.
PM Thongloun Sisoulith told that his Government has agreed with Vietnam's proposal on building Vientiane-Hanoi highway, and suggested the Vietnamese Government create favourable conditions for Laos to use effectively the Vung Ang port.