(KPL) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam jointly hosted a seminar on August 22 in Vientiane under the theme "Implementation of Economic Diplomacy to Drive Growth." 

The seminar was chaired by Mr. Bounleua Phandanouvong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR.

Attendees included representatives from various departments within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant ministries and sectors of the Lao PDR, as well as a delegation from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 

The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange lessons and experiences in implementing economic diplomacy, with a focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly through the continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Mechanism for Economic Diplomacy Consultations between the Lao and Vietnamese Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

Discussions centered on sharing experiences in economic diplomacy, understanding the unique challenges of planning and executing economic diplomacy initiatives, the roles of committees overseeing economic diplomacy, the functions and structure of diplomatic missions abroad, and the role of economic diplomacy in implementing the five-year national socio-economic development plans.

Participants also explored indicators for evaluating the performance of economic diplomacy on a quarterly and annual basis and discussed the development of consultation networks with the business community and other sectors.

On the same occasion, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Ms. Duan Phuong Lan, Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Bounleua Phandanouvong. 

The Vietnamese delegation also planned to meet with the National University of Laos, the National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, and visit the Thanaleng Dry Port, along with various tourist attractions in Vientiane.

KPL