Coal is loaded onto a lorry at a mine of the Khanh Hoa coal company, a subsidiary of Vinacomin.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), Vietnam Electricity (EVN), and Dong Bac Corporation, among others.

Dien noted that cooperation in coal trading between Vietnam and Laos is a critically important issue which is both economic development and political tasks. Therefore, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) have had many meetings and instructions on this issue.
Reviewing recent coal trading, the minister said enterprises have exerted efforts in importing this mineral from Laos under the intergovernmental agreement and the Government’s directions, but the imported volume remains modest and has yet to match the two countries’ demand and potential.

To tackle difficulties and hindrances to bilateral trading, he asked the related units to seriously comply with the Government and the PM’s directions, including on the drafting of a cooperation deal on coal trading with Laos.

To help build the agreement, he requested competent agencies of the MoIT and the enterprises submit reports that comprehensively assess coal trading demand between the two countries as well as conditions for trading.

Dien told the ministry’s Oil, Gas, and Coal Department to quickly collect opinions from ministries, sectors, and localities so as to finalise the draft with guaranteed quality and progress to soon submit it to the Government.