On the morning of June 26, information from the Ministry of Science and Technology said that the National Electronic Authentication Center (NEAC) of Vietnam and the National Internet Center of Laos (LANIC) have just coordinated to organize the Vietnam - Laos Conference on digital infrastructure development and digital signature application in Vientiane capital (Laos).
The workshop was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam Bui Hoang Phuong, Deputy Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos Keovisouk Solaphom and representatives of management agencies, organizations and technology businesses of the two countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong affirmed that the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos is an important foundation to promote cooperation in science, technology and digital transformation in the new period.
The Deputy Minister highly appreciated the annual coordination between NEAC and LANIC in seminars and technical training activities, contributing to improving professional capacity and building digital trust between the two countries.
Notably, leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology praised the efforts of the two sides in researching the development of a Common Trust List, expected to be piloted in the customs sector.
According to Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong, this mechanism will create conditions for the digital signatures of Vietnam and Laos to be directly recognized, paving the way for the formation of smart border gates, simplifying customs clearance procedures and improving competitiveness for businesses of the two countries.
This will be a breakthrough mechanism for the digital signatures of the two countries to be directly cross-recognized, which is the key to forming smart border gates, simplifying customs clearance procedures and creating outstanding competitive advantages for businesses of the two countries," Deputy Minister Phuong emphasized.
On the Lao side, Deputy Minister of Technology and Communications Keovisouk Solaphom highly appreciated Vietnam's digital transformation achievements in the fields of taxation, finance, health, education and considered this an important practical experience for Laos.
In the context of implementing the 2040 Digital Economic Vision and the 2026-2030 Digital Transformation Plan, leaders of the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications affirmed that digital signatures are a core tool for verifying identity, protecting data and building trust in the online environment.
At the workshop, representatives of the two countries shared experiences in developing digital trust infrastructure, applying digital signatures in financial management, public services and electronic transactions. Business representatives also introduced modern digital signature models such as USB Token, SIM CA and cloud digital signature platforms.
One of the key contents that the two sides agreed to promote is mutual recognition of digital signatures serving cross-border transactions.
NEAC Director To Thi Thu Huong proposed to soon establish a Joint Working Group to research, develop and operate the Joint Trusted List between Vietnam and Laos, creating a technical and legal foundation for the interconnection of electronic authentication services.
On the same day, NEAC and LANIC also organized a technical training program for Lao officials on operating the Root CA, Sub CA systems, HSM security equipment configuration and digital certificate management procedures, contributing to improving the management capacity of the friendly country's electronic authentication infrastructure.
