Vietnam, Laos further culture, tourism cooperation

Vietnam and Laos have agreed to further cooperation in culture and tourism at a talks held in Hanoi on July 30.
The talks were between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, headed by Minister Hoang Tuan Anh, and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, headed by Minister Bosengkham Vongdara.
The two sides agreed to coordinate to organise a Vietnamese culture week in Laos from August 31-September 6.
They will cooperate in preparations for celebrations of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year 2012 and the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in 2012.
The two sides will jointly carry out Vietnam-funded projects that were approved by the two Governments, including the upgrade of the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum and construction of the President Ho Chi Minh memorial site in Xiengvang village, Khammouane province.
They also agreed to facilitate visitors’ travel through border gates and develop infrastructure for land routes connecting Vietnamese provinces lying along the East-West Corridor and Lao province of Champassak with Vietnam’s Central Highland provinces.
The Vietnamese side said it was ready to help Laos build the Tourism Law and hotel ratings as well as carry out the ADB-funded project on sustainable tourism development in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Both sides committed to cooperate in tourism in bilateral and multilateral frameworks in 2011 and preparing to sign the new minutes on cooperation between the two ministries in the 2012-2015 period.