On the afternoon of August 27, in Da Nang city, the 2nd Mid-term Conference of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee took place to review the results of the first 8 months of the year and expand the linkage space in high-tech industries.
The mid-term meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee in 2026 was co-chaired by Minister of Finance of Vietnam Ngo Van Tuan (Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee) and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Laos Santiphab Phomvihane (Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation Committee).
At the conference, Minister Ngo Van Tuan presented a report assessing the cooperation situation in the first 8 months of the year and proposed key directions for the coming time. Speaking in addition, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Santiphab Phomvihane affirmed the requirement to innovate linkage methods, closely combine traditional pillars and new growth drivers based on technology.
Previously, in the morning of the same day, the working delegations of the two countries had a field survey at Software Park No. 2 (Da Nang). Here, the Lao side expressed special interest in the process of building digital government and the high technology transfer capacity of Vietnam. According to the representative of the working delegation, exploiting the technological advantages of localities like Da Nang is a new direction, helping the two sides deeply cooperate in human resource training and connecting semiconductor and AI enterprises.
To complete the 2026 plan, the two Committees agreed to implement 4 key tasks.
First of all, continue to strengthen political and diplomatic cooperation to go deeper to maintain the role of overall orientation of the two countries' relations.
Second, consolidate defense and security cooperation, closely coordinate to ensure security and order and build a safe and friendly border line.
Third, promote economic, financial, transportation, telecommunications and energy connectivity; remove difficulties for businesses to promote bilateral trade.
Fourth, continue to prioritize cooperation in education, training high-quality human resources and improving the efficiency of using Vietnam's aid capital for Laos.
According to Da Nang City People's Committee, this locality currently has 25 semiconductor design and packaging enterprises and more than 14,000 high-tech students. By 2030, the city aims to train at least 5,000 semiconductor workers, 3,000 high-quality AI workers and attract about 300 - 500 million USD of investment capital from Lao businesses.
In the first 7 months of the year, Vietnam had 20 new investment projects to Laos reaching 638.3 million USD, 4.2 times higher than the same period last year (accumulated reaching 300 projects with a value of more than 7 billion USD). Bilateral trade turnover in the first 6 months of the year reached 1.3 billion USD, along with a aid package worth 1,120 billion VND of Vietnam for Laos being effectively implemented.
