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The construction of a culture hall in Xieng Khuang province, which is being jointly funded by the Lao and Vietnamese governments, is expected to commence soon.
A model of the cultural hall.
The hall will cost in excess of 31 billion kip to construct, and take around 18 months to complete.
The information was revealed at the ground breaking ceremony, held in the province on July 18.
The ceremony was attended by provincial Governor Prof. Dr Somkot Mangnomek, the Secretary of Vietnam’s Nghe-An Provincial Party Committee, Mr Phan Dinh Trac, alongside other representatives from both sides and officials concerned.
Locally-based PPC Design and Architecture Company will build the hall at a total cost of 31.5 billion kip. The Vietnamese government is providing over 15.8 billion kip (US$1.9 million) towards the cost of construction, while the remainder will be funded by the Lao government.
The two-storey building will be 100 metres long and 80 metres wide, and will be fully furnished and decorated.
Mr Phan Dinh Trac and his delegation’s attendance at the ceremony formed part of their short-working visit to the province from July 16-19.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Somkot said the hall will be used for holding meetings, exchanging ideas on art and culture and conducting many other activities between the two countries.
On the same day, the delegations of the two countries gathered to cut the ribbon to open the Xieng Khuang-Nghe-An Friendship Road from Phonkham to Phonngam villages in Paek district.
The road is 1,500 metres in length, while its width varies between 10 and 18 metres, including an additional 500 meters of newly cut road, officials revealed.
The new road includes a pavement for pedestrians, large flower pots, street lighting, memorial signs and other features. The road was constructed by the two locally-based construction companies of Daophuan and Somchanh at a cost of over 20 billion kip, funded by the Lao government. The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Road will be built in Ving city of Nghe-An province, funded by the Vietnamese government.
T he cooperation between Laos and Vietnam in building the culture hall and roads is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and the 35th anniversary of the signing the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
The two countries have a long shared history and have provided assistance to each other in many areas over an extended period. Cultural exchange and assistance in the fields of information, culture, education and tourism are among the areas where they have cooperated closely over the years. The two countries regularly exchange experts to supply each other with information and expertise, as they consider information and culture as central to national protection and development, and essential to enhancing their special friendship.
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