Hanoi: Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh has emphasized that from 2026 onwards, bilateral cooperation in education and training, along with people-to-people exchanges, will continue to serve as a strategic bridge. This cooperation directly contributes to the development of high-quality human resources and sustainable growth in both countries while solidifying the social foundation of bilateral ties.
According to Lao News Agency, Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh highlighted the concept of 'strategic cohesion' within the framework of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. This relationship was recently elevated by high-ranking leaders during the State visit to Laos by Party General Secretary To Lam from December 1-2, 2025. The ambassador noted that this upgrade marks an important step forward in the long-standing tradition of solidarity and close comradeship forged during the struggles for independence and nation-building in both countries. It reaffirms the steadfast and loyal friendship between Laos and Vietnam, opening up new prospects for more substantive and effective cooperation that benefits the two peoples and contributes to regional and global peace, stability, and development.
For the cooperation orientations for 2026 and the subsequent development phase, the Lao ambassador underlined the importance of prioritizing fundamental and long-term areas of cooperation. Education, training, and people-to-people exchanges will remain of special importance. In the field of education and training, there is a need to improve the effectiveness of cooperation in human resources development, particularly in training personnel for Laos. Vietnam currently trains thousands of Lao students annually, and from 2026 onwards, the focus should shift to enhancing training quality rather than quantity. Training content should align with Laos' practical needs, prioritizing areas such as public administration, Party building, digital economy, digital transformation, energy, sustainable development, and international integration.
The diplomat also proposed strengthening linkages among educational institutions, expanding the exchange of lecturers and students, increasing short-term training courses and regular cooperation programs, and establishing a network of young officials and intellectuals to enhance exchanges and improve teaching quality in line with practical needs. Regarding people-to-people exchanges, the two countries will continue to organize substantive and meaningful activities such as Culture and Tourism Weeks and exchanges among youth, women, and localities. Renewing content aims to make cooperation more result-oriented, particularly in border provinces. Both sides will leverage digital transformation to develop shared digital cultural and educational platforms and expand online exchange programs to reach more young people in the two nations.
Notably, the two nations are studying the establishment of a Laos-Vietnam Friendship University in Vientiane. This institution will serve as a joint learning and research environment for the younger generations of both countries, helping to carry forward the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic cohesion between Laos and Vietnam in the years ahead. Referring to the 2026-2030 cooperation plan recently adopted at the 48th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh affirmed that the plan 'lays a solid foundation for promoting trade and investment growth, infrastructure development, and strengthening economic integration between the two countries in a more effective and sustainable manner'.
The cooperation plan targets raising two-way trade to over 5 billion USD and underscores a strategic shift in focus from expanding the number of projects to improving their quality and effectiveness. Priority is given to key areas such as clean energy, high-tech agriculture, processing and manufacturing, telecommunications, and finance. The ambassador expects that the proportion of projects operating efficiently and making sustainable contributions to the Lao state budget and job creation will continue to increase significantly in the future. In the field of infrastructure, the two sides have identified this as a 'strategic breakthrough.' They agree to accelerate East-West and North-South connectivity corridors, upgrade border gates, and enhance transport and energy systems. They also aim to promote digitalization and simplify administrative procedures to reduce transaction costs and time, enhance competitiveness, and help build regional supply chains linking Laos, Vietnam, and the Mekong sub-region.
According to the ambassador, the 2026-2030 bilateral cooperation plan is not only a guiding framework but also an implementation tool to concretize the 'strategic cohesion' between the two countries. It creates new momentum for trade and investment growth, infrastructure development, and deeper economic integration, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of each country and the wider region.