Pasalao

Laos, China draw road-map for transport development
Business Desk
Vientiane Times
Publication Date : 26-05-2010
Laos and China will strengthen ties in the transport sector under an in-principle agreement to smooth economic development, a senior government official said.

The agreement was reached at a meeting in Vientiane last week between representatives from the Lao public works and transport ministry and a delegation from its Chinese counterpart who were on an official visit to the Lao capital.

The Lao minister for public works and transport Sommath Pholsena presented a cooperation proposal to his Chinese counterpart Li Shenglin at the meeting and received a positive response, according to the Lao ministry's office head Lattanamany Khounnivong.

“Both sides agreed in principle to cooperate in several areas in the proposed package, but further details will be discussed by technical staff from both parties at a later date,” he said.

In his address to the meeting, Sommath proposed four projects amounting to more than US$771 million, which the Lao government has prioritised in its relationship with China during the next five-year period.

The projects cover road and bridge construction, river and land transport and aviation.

The Lao minister also proposed the amendment of particular articles in the current agreement on cross-border land transport which was signed in 1993, noting that some clauses are not suitable for current conditions.

A tripartite meeti ng was also proposed between Laos, China and Thailand to discuss issues regarding cross-border transport through the R3 road which links the three nations.

Sommath asked his counterpart to consider identifying potential transport routes from Vientiane to China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region through Viet Nam, after the issue was agreed upon in principle at the last meeting of the Greater Mekong Sub-region's senior officials.

The minister also asked China to consider amending an agreement on air transport, signed by the two governments in 1978, to make it more relevant to the present trade climate.

He encouraged China-based airlines to offer more flights to Laos, saying that Laos stands ready to cancel related service fees.

There were also calls for China to consider offering scholarships to Lao students and technical staff to study and train in China in the field of civil aviation.

China has already provided financial support to several major transport projects in Laos, including funding more than a quarter of the 228.7km long R3 Road.

Three other projects are in the development stage, while a further four are already underway.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=12143

ຕາມທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ ເງິນຈຳນວນ$771ລ້ານດັອນລານີ້ບໍ່ແມ່ນເງິນກູ້ ບໍ່ແມ່ນເງິນຢືມແຕ່ເປັນເງິນທີ່ໃຫ້ລ້າ, ຄິດວ່າລາວອາດຈະໃຫ້ປາພອນຫລືບໍ່ຊັ້ນກໍ່ແມ່ນໃຫ້ປາບຶກເປັນສິ່ງຕອບແທນເນີ. ສິ່ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍສົນໃຈໃນເວລານີ້ແມ່ນບໍລິສັດໃດ໋ຈະປະມູນໄດ້ໃນໂຄງການນີ້? ດີໃຈນຳຜູ່ທີ່ຈະໄດ້ຊອງຂາວໃຕ້ໂຕະ, ຖ້າພໍເປັນໄປໄດ້ກະເຮັດໃບ Benjamin Franklin ເຮ່ຍແດ່ຈັກໃບສອງໃບພໍໄດ້ເສຍຄ່າໂຮງຮຽນໃຫ້ລູກສົກປີຮຽນຊິມານີ້. ຂອບໃຈລ່ວງໜ້າ