Lao-Chinese Cooperative Relations Should be Further Promoted: Lao PMLaos and China should further promote their all-round cooperative relations by strengthening economic and trade cooperation, maintaining momentum of frequent exchanges of visits by top leaders and enhancing mutual support and cooperation in regional and international affairs, newly- elected Lao Prime Minister Boungnang Vorachit said here recently.Speaking to a group of Chinese journalists in an interview, Boungnang said ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations on April 25, 1961, Lao-Chinese friendship has been developing smoothly. The two countries have made great achievements in the field of foreign affairs, he said, citing documents signed by the both sides, which include border treaty, mutual visa exemption agreement, economic, technological and cultural cooperation agreements and, most important of all, the joint statement on bilateral cooperation. Last year the heads of state of the two countries, Lao President Khamtay Siphandone and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, paid state visits to each other's countries. During Jiang's visit to Laos in November, the two governments signed a joint statement on bilateral cooperation, which defined the development orientation of relationship. "Laos believes that the two visits were great events bearing historical significance in the history of Lao-Chinese relationship, and have laid a solid foundation for the further development of the all-round cooperative relations in the current time and in the future," Boungnang said. Elected as Lao prime minister at the seventh general meeting of the National Assembly last month, Boungnang said his government will continue implementing the domestic and foreign policies formulated by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and contributing to the cause of defending and constructing their motherland. The government will also continue promoting cooperation between Laos and China in all fields, Boungnang said. At the seventh party congress held in March, Laos set a series of goals in economic and social development, pledging to reduce the number of people living under the poverty line by a million by 2005 from the current rate of 2.03 million and triple per capita income to between 1,200 U.S. dollars to 1,500 dollars a year by 2020. "To achieve these goals, we need cooperation, assistance and support from all friendly countries around the world, and the cooperation between Laos and China is an important factor for fulfilling these tasks," said the prime minister. Laos has always taken China as a strategic friend sharing common ideal of socialism, Boungnang said, adding that the two countries have always support and help each other on a mutually beneficial basis. Visiting China for the first time in 1989, Boungnang is a frequenter of the country. Last year he led a delegation of senior Lao officials to attend a seminar at the Party School of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee in Beijing and visited several provinces in northern and southern China. "All the cities I visited were developing very fast, which should be attributed to the reform and opening-up policies," said he, noting that a strong socialist China is a solid support for Laos. In a separate interview, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad thanked the Chinese government and Chinese people for the assistance they provided to the Lao government and Lao people. "Up to now China has invested about 100 million dollars in Laos, and assistance projects in the field of economy, culture and infrastructure have been increasing," he said. "Based on the good tradition, I believe the friendly and cooperative relations between Laos and China will be further developed in the new century," said the foreign minister, who paid an official visit to China earlier this month to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Lao-Chinese diplomatic relations. |
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