​Based on the traditional friendship, the special solidarity and the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos,  Dong Nai’s Government and people have made great efforts to deeply cultivate the Vietnam – Laos friendship. Among them, economic development collaboration and people’s external relations are the two tasks which should be first mentioned.

Helping Laotian Friends with Their Economic Growth and Human Resource Training

Mr. Tran Quoc Toan, Vice-director of Dong Nai Department of External Relations says Dong Nai has organized 13 delegations to visit and work in Laotian localities so far. The province has signed a number of MOU on cooperation with Champasack Province including trade investment promotion, market development, development cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture, services, tourism, science and technology, infrastructure, health care, human resource training.

The signed documents have facilitated Dong Nai enterprises’ investment into Laos. At present, Tin Nghia Corporation has 01 coffee planting project with a total investment capital of USD1.5 million. Golf Long Thành Company puts its investment in the field of exploring, exploiting and processing minerals, a golf course and hotels with a total capital of USD303 million. Dong Nai Rubber Corporation has invested 01 project in Oudomxay Province with a total capital of USD6.7 million and so on.

As for education and training, from 2011 until now, Dong Nai has given Champasack 163 scholarships. 92 Laotian students have graduated and returned to work in Laos. 71 Laotian students are now studying at 6 universities, colleges and vocational highschools in Dong Nai.

In general, the Laotian Government highly values Dong Nai’s activities which have brought practical outcomes, creating income for local laborers, improving infrastructures, upgrading people’ intellect, boosting economic growth in the country. Furthermore, Dong Nai Province has also helped the neighbor country with social welfare projects including health care, water conduits, giving gifts, building solidarity houses and so on which has contributively improved the quality of people’s life.

BOX:    Responding to The Year of Vietnam – Laos Solidarity and Friendship, Dong Nai Province launched the contest “Getting to know the History of the Vietnam - Laos Special Relation” with 1,187 entries. The contest created a large political activity attracting the participation of people of all classes in the province. This was a good chance for Dong Nai people to understand more about Laos,  Laotian people, their heroic tradition, the faithful friendship between the two peoples - Vietnam and Laos in the history as well as the long-lasting relationship between the two provinces -Dong Nai and Champasack.

Enhancing People’s External Relations

Implementing the Party’s policy, in 2009 Dong Nai Province People’s Committee made a decision to establish the Vietnam – Laos Friendship Association (the Association). Right after its foundation, the Association attracted 1,219 members with 32 chapters. Most of the members are those who used to fight or do voluntary jobs in Laos. Therefore, they are in deep love with the natives and become a connection bridge to boost the traditional friendship between Dong Nai and Laotian localities.

Mr. Do Dang Tuoc, the Association’s Chairman says, in recent years the Association has carried out a number of activities such as accompanying the group of Dong Nai’s doctors to give free medical checks and medicine to people in Champasack Province. In 2015, the Association set up the poetry club with its theme “Deeply-cultivated Vietnam – Laos Friendship”. So far, the club has published two poetry collections with the participation of 30 poets.

Moreover, the Association has admitted 19 honorary members who are Laotian students studying at Dong Nai University of Technology. The Association also regularly visits and encourages the students on the occasion of traditional days celebrations of the two peoples. Many members have become the students’ godfather or godmother, considering them as their family members.

Okeoteso Khanpaseuth, a 3^rd year student of Dong Nai University of Technology says, “I have been in Vietnam for over three years. Every year, Dong Nai’s leaders organize activities for us to celebrate the traditional New Year’s Day. We are very happy. We are now far away from home, but the love from the leaders, our teachers and friends ease our homesickness. We will try our best to study hard for more knowledge to build our country when we return home.”

At present, the world is witnessing an unpredictably changing situation, superpowers’ competition for their influence will have certain effects on the cooperative relation between Vietnam and Laos. Therefore, the maintenance and development of the exemplary, transparent and faithful Vietnam – Laos relation has been successively cultivated by Dong Nai’s Government and people as well as people in the two countries following the statement made by Laotian Chairman Cayson Phonvihan, “Mountains may be worn out; rivers may be drained; yet, the Vietnam – Laos relation will be forever more long-lasting than mountains and rivers.”