Muong La District, Son La Province and Muong La District, Udom Xay Province (Lao People's Democratic Republic) signed a cooperation agreement.

To date, Son La province has comprehensive friendly and cooperative relations with 9 out of 18 provinces and cities of Laos; cooperative relations with 20 diplomatic representative offices in Vietnam; and 31 foreign non-governmental organizations providing funding to Son La province. Mr. Nguyen Van May, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, informed: As the key agency in advising and organizing the implementation of the province's foreign affairs activities, the Department proactively advises, proposes, and concretizes areas of cooperation; actively advises and organizes exchange programs at all levels; and facilitates exchanges, cooperation, and experience sharing in the fields of economics, education, health, agriculture, etc., with other countries and 9 provinces of Laos.

Regarding border affairs, during the year, the Department advised the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of the border gate planning along the Vietnam-Laos land border for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; prepared the content and procedures for organizing the regular border briefing meeting with Hua Phan province and Luang Prabang province (Lao People's Democratic Republic). It also advised and contributed to the successful organization of the opening ceremony of the Long Sap (Son La) - Pa Hang (Hua Phan) international border gate pair; and organized the inspection and maintenance of border markers and the beautification of the landscape and architecture of the Long Sap - Pa Hang border gate area.

In addition, the Department proactively reviewed, urged, and coordinated with relevant agencies to implement the planned outbound and inbound delegations. From December 2023 to December 2024, the Department advised the competent provincial authorities on sending 102 delegations, comprising 1,018 individuals, abroad for official business; and received 132 delegations, comprising 1,057 individuals, from abroad into the province. The work of advising on the organization of outbound and inbound delegations was carried out promptly, ensuring solemnity and thoughtfulness in accordance with diplomatic protocol regulations and the actual conditions of the province.

Currently, the Department of Foreign Affairs also serves as a bridge between Son La province and international organizations and individuals, helping to expand cooperative and development relationships in the fields of economics, culture, health, education, and security, such as: coordinating the development and implementation of the Project to train intermediate-level political theory for officials from 9 provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Plan for enrollment and training at postgraduate, university, college, and vocational levels, as well as Vietnamese language training for students from the provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in the 2024-2025 academic year. It also collaborated with the Department of Planning and Investment to appraise and accept 10 programs, projects, and aid packages with a total committed value of over 4.8 million USD...

With over 10 years of close cooperation, Muong La district in Son La province and Muong La district in Udomxay province have regularly organized working delegations to hold discussions, exchange experiences, sign working agreements, and assist each other in economic and social development. Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong La district, said: "In recent years, the two districts have alternately sent working delegations to finalize cooperation programs; promote foreign cooperation, strengthen the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos, and evaluate the results of cooperation between the two districts, meeting the political, economic, and social development goals of each side."

With a determination to successfully complete its tasks and build upon the achievements, the Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to effectively advise the province on the comprehensive implementation of foreign affairs solutions, contributing to expanding relations, promoting cooperation, and advancing in the process of integration and development.

Source: Son La Newspaper