Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong (R) receives Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang. (Photo: VNA)

During the reception, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Le Anh Duong briefed on the outstanding achievements made by Bac Giang in socio-economic development and ensuring security and national defence.

For Bac Giang, the highlight of its relationship with Laos is the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association’s chapter in the locality, which was established in 2005 with more than 3,600 members, and regularly organises friendship and people-to-people exchanges, Duong said.

According to Chairman Duong, during the two resistance wars against colonialism and imperialism, thousands of volunteer soldiers and experts from Bac Giang joined the Lao revolution, of whom more than 1,000 died in Laos.

Last year, Bac Giang signed a cooperation agreement with Xaysomboun province in Laos towards 2025 involving delegation exchanges, experience sharing, agricultural support, healthcare, education-training, culture-sports and tourism, and investment and construction, he said.

He added that Bac Giang will continue to carry out activities to ensure the friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Laos and the two provinces grows more and more effective, while further promoting people-to-people exchanges and contributing to deepening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

For his part, Ambassador Sengphet thanked the Party Committee, authorities and people of Bac Giang for their assistance for the Lao revolution both in the past and present.

Bac Giang province has arranged practical activities to make the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Year 2022 more meaningful, especially activities to help Sayxomboun, he said.

He hoped that Bac Giang’s authorities will continue to implement the cooperation agreement with the Lao locality, focusing on introducing Bac Giang’s businesses to invest in Sayxomboun, and promoting people-to-people exchanges between Bac Giang and Lao localities, contributing to building a strong cooperative relationship between the two countries.