The Vietnam - Laos Investment Promotion Conference is an important event for the two sides to review the results of investment cooperation in the past time, thoroughly grasp and discuss measures to implement major cooperation orientations on economy , investment and trade agreed by the two sides in 2026 and the period 2026-2030.
The conference reviewed the situation of cooperation and investment between Vietnam and Laos; introduced the investment and business environment and investment attraction policies, priority areas for investment attraction of each country; potential, capacity, and strengths of each country and orientations for investment cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the coming period, especially in the fields of electricity, rubber, agricultural processing, chemicals and minerals, etc., especially the implementation of key transport infrastructure projects connecting Vietnam and Laos, specifically the Hanoi - Vientiane expressway project and the Vung Ang - Vientiane railway.
The conference assessed that, on the basis of good political relations, economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has seen many developments. Total trade turnover between the two countries continued to record remarkable growth in the first 11 months of 2025, estimated at 2.6 billion USD, up 50.4% over the same period in 2024. Laos has always maintained the first position among 85 countries and territories investing abroad with Vietnam, while Vietnam has now risen to become the second largest foreign investment partner in Laos. To date, Vietnam's total registered investment capital to Laos has reached over 6.21 billion USD. In the first 11 months of 2025 alone, Vietnam's investment capital to Laos reached over 590.3 million USD, up 7.5 times over the same period in 2024.
More and more projects of Vietnamese enterprises are operating effectively, making positive contributions to the socio-economic development of Laos in most fields; at the same time creating jobs and improving the material and spiritual life of hundreds of thousands of Lao workers; supplementing revenue for the Lao state budget and fulfilling social responsibilities, actively sponsoring the community.
However, delegates assessed that the economic relationship between the two countries is not commensurate with the political relationship and potential. Therefore, at the conference, delegates and businesses proposed many solutions and recommendations to remove obstacles to facilitate investment programs and projects between the two sides.
Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith had just chaired a very successful High-level Meeting between the two Parties, giving many strategic directions, including focusing on economic development, with the goal that from 2026, Laos will strive to achieve 6% growth and Vietnam will achieve a double-digit growth target.
On the same morning, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone successfully co-chaired the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee with many important cooperation contents, including promoting practical and effective economic, investment and trade cooperation between the two countries; focusing on support, work assignment and expectations for the development of enterprises - the most important driving force for economic development of the two countries.
Proposing that the business community, ministries, branches, localities and people of the two countries urgently implement high-level agreements and orientations in response to the attention and direction of General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, as well as of the two Governments, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that each business develops healthily and sustainably, the economy of each country develops healthily and sustainably. Therefore, the business community must contribute to effectively implementing the new content in the Vietnam-Laos relationship: "Great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, strategic connection".
With the viewpoint of "A creative State, pioneering enterprises, public-private partnership, Laos-Vietnam development, happy people", "resources originate from thinking and vision, motivation originates from innovation and creativity, strength originates from people and enterprises", the Prime Minister said that State agencies need to promote their creative role, promote 3 strategic breakthroughs including open institutions, smooth infrastructure, smart governance; hoping that businesses of the two countries "value intelligence, save time and make timely, effective and timely decisions" to expand cooperation and investment in each country.
The Prime Minister proposed that the Lao Government jointly create and serve businesses in the spirit of "not saying no, not saying difficult, not saying yes but not doing"; always creating the most favorable conditions for Vietnamese and Lao businesses to promote investment cooperation, effective, stable, long-term and sustainable business, in the spirit of "3 together" and the action motto "5 common". In which: listening and understanding together; having the same vision and action; developing and enjoying together; along with that are: open institutions; smooth infrastructure; smart governance; common ways of doing things; understanding cooperation.
The Prime Minister proposed enhancing connectivity and complementarity between the two economies, creating a stable and transparent legal corridor and a favorable environment; focusing on accelerating the implementation of investment projects, ensuring progress and quality; initiating new ideas and new driving forces in trade and investment cooperation; improving investment efficiency as well as the sense of responsibility of each enterprise.
With “far-sighted vision, broad-mindedness, deep thinking, big action” and the spirit of “heart-to-heart” relationships, the Prime Minister suggested that Vietnamese enterprises such as Viettel, the Coal and Minerals Group, Petrovietnam, EVN, the Rubber Industry Group, the Chemical Group, Vinamilk, Truong Hai Group (THACO), Viet Phuong, TH True Milk... continue to invest in Laos, develop transport infrastructure, airports, seaports (of Laos in Vietnam), telecommunications, energy, high-tech agriculture, mineral exploitation and processing...
Proposing the Lao Government to continue supporting Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate and invest effectively in Laos and Lao projects, the Prime Minister called on Lao investors to promote and expand cooperation and investment in Vietnam. In particular, together with Vietnamese enterprises, the two-way import-export turnover will soon reach 5 billion USD and aim for 10 billion USD in the near future.
Affirming that the relationship of "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos" is a priceless asset of the Party, State, and people of the two countries, the Prime Minister believes that with the determination of the leaders, people, and business communities of the two countries, Vietnam and Laos will certainly develop strongly and prosperously, and the people will become increasingly prosperous and happy.
For his part, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said that despite the difficult situation, the Lao economy continues to grow, with an expected growth rate of 4.8% in 2025 alone, and the macro-economy is basically stable. The two Parties, States, and Governments of Vietnam and Laos have always paid close attention to and directed economic, trade, and investment cooperation activities in all fields. The Lao Prime Minister said that Laos always welcomes and creates favorable conditions for Vietnamese investors in potential fields such as electricity, transport infrastructure, high-tech agriculture, tourism, finance, banking, etc.
Agreeing with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's opinions on major orientations, the Lao Prime Minister emphasized a number of important priorities such as infrastructure connection projects between the two countries, especially railway and highway projects, connecting Laos with Vietnamese seaports, developing industrial parks, mineral processing, carbon credit fields, etc.
To facilitate investment attraction, including investment from Vietnam, Laos has and will continue to improve legal regulations, reduce regulations, promote digital transformation, promote public-private cooperation, and build a transparent business environment.
Informing about Laos' strategic development goals in the coming years, including getting out of underdevelopment by 2026 and becoming an upper middle-income country by 2055, the Lao Prime Minister said that businesses need to promote initiatives, intelligence, and new development drivers to contribute to implementing the development policies and strategies of the two countries. The Lao Prime Minister also asked Vietnamese ministries and sectors to continue supporting and exchanging experiences in implementing investment projects, connecting domestic economic sectors and foreign investment.
The Lao Prime Minister hopes that bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation will continue to develop strongly, commensurate with the "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic connection" between the two countries, and together move towards socialism.
* At the conference, witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, businesses of the two countries signed and exchanged 9 cooperation documents in various fields.
* This is the last activity of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his working trip to Laos, attending the High-level Meeting of the two Parties and co-chairing the 48th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Vietnam-Laos Bilateral Cooperation. On the same evening, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation left Vientiane to return home, successfully concluding the working trip.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/hoi-nghi-xuc-tien-dau-tu-viet-nam-lao-20251203191022439.htm
![[Photo] Parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Laos' National Day](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvphoto.vietnam.vn%2Fthumb%2F1200x675%2Fvietnam%2Fresource%2FIMAGE%2F2025%2F12%2F02%2F1764691918289_ndo_br_0-jpg.webp&w=3840&q=75)
![[Photo] Worshiping the Tuyet Son statue - a nearly 400-year-old treasure at Keo Pagoda](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvphoto.vietnam.vn%2Fthumb%2F1200x675%2Fvietnam%2Fresource%2FIMAGE%2F2025%2F12%2F02%2F1764679323086_ndo_br_tempimageomw0hi-4884-jpg.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Comment (0)