cooperation in agro-forestry, fisheries and rural development with a
focus on science and technology, training, investment and trade.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Vietnamese
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat and Lao
Agro-Forestry Minister Sitaheng Rasphone in Hanoi on September 14.
Under the MoU, which is part of the two
Governments’ Cooperation Agreement, the two sides will continue
implementing projects to build agriculture-rural area-farmer development
strategies and zone off agricultural areas for Laos .
The MoU also mentions several new projects in 2011, including Lao
Fisheries Development Planning for 2011-2020, research on creating new
varieties of maize and upgrade of an animal quarantine post at the
Densavanh border gate in Sepon district as well as a project on
transferring flood and drought management software.
The two countries’ agricultural ministries will strengthen bilateral
and multilateral cooperation to realise their regional and international
commitments in the fields of climate change, reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), food security and safety,
and strengthening management and enforcement of laws on forestry and
forest product trade.
Earlier, the two sides held
talks during which they informed each other about each country’s
agricultural development situation. The two ministers agreed to speed up
the trading of agro-forestry products between the two countries, remove
trade barriers and facilitate investment activities by Vietnamese and
Lao businesses.
According to Minister Phat, the
Vietnam-Laos agricultural cooperation has seen remarkable results
recently with the effective prevention of cross-border infectious
diseases among animals and the signing of cooperation agreements on
protecting watershed and border forests as well as the planting of
rubber trees in Laos. The two countries aim to have more than 24,400 ha
planted with rubber trees by the end of this year.
He also suggested the two sides further strengthen bilateral ties in
the fields of veterinary, animal quarantine and afforestation./.
