The agreement was formalised on March 29 at the Gia Lai Provincial Convention Center, with senior officials from both sides attending, including provincial leaders and representatives of Lao diplomatic missions in Vietnam.
The new framework focuses on expanding comprehensive and practical cooperation, including education, healthcare, agriculture, science and technology, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, while also strengthening coordination on national defence and security.
According to a report presented at the conference, cooperation between Gia Lai and the four Lao provinces during 2021–2025 achieved “positive results” despite disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In education, Gia Lai granted 320 scholarships and hosted more than 100 Lao students annually.
In trade and investment, 15 businesses from the province have operated in Laos with total registered capital exceeding $595.3 million.
Cooperation also expanded in science, agriculture and healthcare through technical transfers, training programmes and equipment support.
Joint activities in social welfare and defence included medical outreach programmes and the construction of friendship projects, with total funding of nearly 116 billion VND (approximately $4.7 million).
Looking ahead, both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, promote awareness of Vietnam - Laos relations, particularly among younger generations, and implement cooperation projects aligned with each locality’s development needs.
Speaking at the event, Gia Lai Chairman Pham Anh Tuan described the partnership with southern Lao provinces as both a diplomatic task and a key political responsibility, contributing to the “special relationship” between the two countries.
He emphasised the need to enhance political trust, improve the effectiveness of cooperation in priority areas, and strengthen coordination mechanisms to ensure projects deliver tangible results.
Leaders from the Lao provinces praised the outcomes of previous cooperation and proposed measures to further improve implementation in the coming period.
The conference also witnessed additional agreements, including a memorandum between Sekong’s agriculture and environment authorities and Vietnam’s PISICO Binh Dinh Corporation on investment research in agriculture and mining projects.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group extended its memorandum on a multi-crop forestry project in Attapeu, part of its broader investment portfolio in Laos, where it currently operates five large-scale high-tech agricultural projects producing bananas, durian, coffee and silk.
Gia Lai Party Secretary Thai Dai Ngoc said the province’s expanded administrative scope following a merger would create new opportunities to strengthen cooperation with Laos, particularly in agriculture, processing industries, trade and logistics.
He called for increased efforts to facilitate cross-border trade, develop logistics infrastructure, improve education and healthcare quality, and expand cultural and tourism exchanges, while ensuring border security.
Officials from both sides expressed confidence that the strengthened partnership would become a model of effective local-level cooperation, further reinforcing the longstanding Vietnam - Laos relationship.
