The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Malaythong Kommasith (centre), at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official launch of the Laos-Vietnam trade fair in Xekong province on July 1.

Laos-Vietnam trade fair helps boost trade and investment opportunities

A Laos-Vietnam trade fair, held in Xekong province during June 29 to July 3, was aimed at promoting trade and investment cooperation between four central provinces of Vietnam and four southern provinces of Laos.
The event attracted more than 100 business units, and their products were on display at more than 90 booths set up at an exhibition centre in Xekong province.
The opening ceremony, held in Xekong on July 1, was attended by the Governor of the province, Mr Leklay Sivilay, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Malaythong Kommasith, and senior officials from several southern provinces of Laos and  four provinces of Vietnam – Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam and Kon Tum.
The fair enabled Vietnamese businesses to survey the Lao market, introduce Vietnamese products to Lao consumers, seek opportunities for trade and investment cooperation with businesses in southern Laos, and promote the export of Vietnamese goods to Laos.
The head of the organising committee for the fair, Mr Khanty Silavongsa, who is also the Deputy Governor of Xekong, said the event was a significant part of celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Laos-Vietnam Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
“This event will also contribute to Xekong’s socio-economic development and promote trade, investment, tourism and industrial development alongside the development of the east and west economic corridor,” he said.
The trade fair was a golden opportunity for producers, entrepreneurs, businesspeople and general traders to meet each other in order to build business networking in different fields, and to boost trade, investment and tourism between southern Laos and central Vietnam, he added.
“Particularly, it will help the two nations of Laos and Vietnam to implement cooperation roadmaps that were previously agreed on to ensure fruitful achievements in the years ahead,” he said, noting that the fair also helped promote goods produced in Xekong alongside Vietnamese products.
According to a member of the organising committee, a total of 104 business units participated in the fair that had more than 90 booths. Goods valued at more than 4.9 billion kip were on display at the fair, including  domestic products worth 900 million kip and Vietnamese goods worth nearly 4 billion kip.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update July 5, 2022)