A sweeping bilateral agreement has been reached between Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri and Savanhakhet province in Laos, pledging an increase in cooperation in the 2014-16 period. The agreement follows talks held in Quang Tri’s Dong Ha city on August 11, in which leaders from the two provinces outlined their socio-economic development, defence-security situation and relations with external partners. The two sides discussed issues of mutual concern while drafting the cooperation agreement. They committed to creating favourable conditions for provincial agencies and border businesses to meet, exchange knowledge, while coordinating to research new mechanisms and plans for cooperation. The new three-year plan will see the two provinces solve challenges facing transport, trade and tourism, while promoting investment and simplifying joint customs procedures at the Lao Bao-Densavan International Border Gates. They also pledged to develop border economic zones at Lao Bao and Densavan, with a view to fully tapping the potential of the East-West Economic Corridor. In the 2014-2016 period, Quang Tri will provide Savannakhet with 6 billion VND for the infrastructure development of education and training, healthcare and agriculture in border areas. Exchanges will also take place between the provinces’ respective armed forces, police, border defence forces and external affairs agencies. After the signing of the agreement, it was made clear that agencies and people in the two provinces will continue to work together to protect the Vietnam-Laos border line and cooperate closely in the search for the remains of Vietnamese soldiers and specialists who lost their lives in Laos. VNA