On the morning of January 9, Mr. Truong Cong Thai, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People’s Committee, hosted a courtesy meeting with high-level delegations from Salavan and Champasak provinces of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic during their working visit to the province.

The Salavan delegation was led by Mr. Sivan Pakone Vong Boun Thanh, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, while the Champasak delegation was headed by Mr. Vi Soun Keokhamphui, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The scene of the courtesy meeting.

In his welcoming remarks, Vice Chairman Truong Cong Thai expressed his warm welcome to the guests, highlighting that the comprehensive partnership between Dak Lak and the two Lao provinces has grown steadily across all sectors. He emphasized that regular exchanges of delegations at all levels have been organized, and cooperation in education and training, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people diplomacy has been effectively implemented, contributing to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the governments and the people of the localities.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Truong Cong Thai spoke at the courtesy meeting.

In the economic cooperation sector, Dak Lak Province highly appreciates the support and attention from the governments of Champasak and Salavan towards investment projects by Dak Lak enterprises in their localities. Notably, the project of Dak Lak Rubber Company has been implemented stably and effectively, making a positive contribution to socio-economic development, creating jobs, and improving the living standards of local residents. This project has become a highlight in economic cooperation between the localities, reflecting the spirit of collaborative development and mutual benefit.

Vice Chairman Truong Cong Thai also informed that from July 1, 2025, the old Dak Lak Province and Phu Yen Province will merge to form the new Dak Lak Province, covering an area of over 18,000 square kilometers and a population of over 3.3 million people. The new Dak Lak is not only famous as a global coffee destination but also as the lobster capital and the homeland of ocean tuna fishing in Vietnam. 

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Salavan Province Sivan Pakone Vong Boun Thanh spoke at the courtesy meeting.

In 2025, the socio-economic situation of the province is expected to be basically stable and continue to develop. Despite facing severe impacts from natural disasters in the last months of the year, which directly affected production and the lives of the people, with the decisive and timely direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee, along with the efforts of various levels and sectors, many fields have still maintained a good growth rate; the average income per capita is estimated to reach 80.6 million VND per year; and the total export turnover is expected to reach 2.8 billion USD, an increase of 26% compared to 2024.

Vice Chairman Truong Cong Thai presented commemorative gifts to the leaders of Salavan Province.

Vice Chairman Truong Cong Thai expressed his hope that all parties would prioritize the comprehensive and effective implementation of signed cooperation agreements. He emphasized the need to maintain regular delegation exchanges, cultural programs, educational cooperation, and people-to-people diplomacy to solidify the foundation of friendship and mutual trust. Furthermore, he urged enhanced coordination to support investment projects by Dak Lak enterprises, specifically the Dak Lak Rubber Company, by streamlining administrative procedures and facilitating access to land and labor. Ensuring a stable, secure, and safe investment environment is crucial for businesses to commit to long-term operations. Finally, the Vice Chairman proposed expanding cooperation into high-potential sectors such as high-tech agriculture, healthcare, trade, services, and human resource development to bring tangible benefits to the people of all localities.

Vice Chairman Truong Cong Thai presented commemorative gifts to the leaders of Champasak Province.

On behalf of the two working delegations, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Salavan province Sivan Pakone Vong Boun Thanh emphasized that the leaders of Salavan and Champasak provinces always highly appreciate the good cooperative relationship with Dak Lak province over the past years. In particular, with the attention, facilitation, and support from the Party Committee and government of Dak Lak province, Dak Lak Rubber Company has made significant contributions to socio-economic development, job creation for local people, and effective implementation of social work in the localities.

Provincial leaders took commemorative photos with the delegation from Champasak province…

… and the delegation from Salavan province.

Salavan and Champasak provinces are committed to continuing to cooperate with Dak Lak province to effectively implement the bilateral cooperation memoranda. Comrade Sivan Pakone Vong Boun Thanh believes that the friendly, traditional, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between the Party Committee, government, and people of Dak Lak province and the two provinces of Champasak and Salavan in particular, will continue to be strengthened, sustainable, and achieve even greater results in the future.