Viet Nam - Laos boost substantive, sustainable cooperation

On the afternoon of July 14, Ha Noi hosted a bilateral meeting between the Vietnamese and Lao Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, co-chaired by Minister Trinh Viet Hung and Minister Linkham Douangsavanh.

The meeting aimed to exchange and share experiences while determining cooperation orientations in the fields of agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, livestock, veterinary medicine and the environment.

During the meeting, both sides affirmed that the cooperation between Viet Nam and Laos is a traditional, long-standing relationship bringing mutual benefits to both nations. In recent years, the two countries have implemented numerous collaborative projects in agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and the environment. However, bilateral import-export turnover has not developed as expected, experiencing growth in some years and declines in others.

Regarding forestry, Viet Nam and Laos agreed to continue coordinating in the protection and management of border forests, while expanding cooperation in developing the forest carbon credit market. Both sides considered that Viet Nam's launch of a carbon exchange on June 29 opens many new opportunities to promote collaboration in this sector.

In the livestock and aquaculture sectors, the two countries will increase information exchange on the regional disease situation, support each other in supplying materials, prevent and control animal diseases, and develop high-quality breeding stocks.

In the veterinary field, both sides agreed to strengthen coordination in quarantine control at border areas, prevent the risk of cross-border disease spread, and support the export of meat products to international markets.

Alongside the achieved results, the two Ministries frankly pointed out several ongoing difficulties and challenges that need to be resolved. Specifically, bilateral trade turnover has not met the set targets, and commercial bottlenecks must be addressed promptly. Both sides also emphasized the need to enhance human resource training and development, improve the management of water and land resources, and pay greater attention to forest fire prevention, firefighting, and forest protection.

At the meeting, Minister Linkham Douangsavanh proposed that Viet Nam continue to support human resource training and development, assist in agricultural infrastructure development, and strengthen cooperation in science and technology.

On Viet Nam's side, Minister Trinh Viet Hung proposed establishing technical working groups to discuss and handle specific cooperation contents. He expressed readiness to share experiences in developing green, sustainable agriculture, expanding cooperation in developing livestock and poultry feed sources, and promoting forestry cooperation, especially in carbon credit development.

Concluding the meeting, the two Ministers agreed to continue fostering the traditional spirit of friendly cooperation, prioritizing sustainable development, environmental protection, and human resource capacity building. The two Ministries also agreed to establish technical working groups to handle specific cooperation areas while continuing to support each other in training, fostering, and sharing experiences.

The meeting clearly identified potential areas of cooperation, discussed challenges and solutions, and reaffirmed the long-term cooperation commitment between Viet Nam and Laos. It also unified the next implementation steps through the technical working group mechanism. Both sides believe that the cooperative relationship in agriculture and the environment will continue to be consolidated, contributing to improving the livelihoods of the people in both nations and promoting sustainable development in the region.