Viet Nam, Laos inaugurate new int'l border gate pair

The Long Sap border gate, located in Moc Chau district in the northern province of Son La, was established on March 1, 1990 while its Lao counterpart is situated in Pa Hang hamlet, Sop Bau district, Houaphanh province.

On December 22, 2020, the Vietnamese Government issued a resolution to upgrade the Long Sap border gate to an international border gate. Subsequently, on December 31 the same year, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an official diplomatic note to the Lao side, notifying them of the decision and suggesting Laos promptly advance the Pa Hang border gate to the status. On September 16, 2024, the Lao Government approved the project.

Addressing at the inauguration ceremony, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu highlighted the significance of the international border gate pair, which is expected to facilitate exchange and development cooperation between Son La and Houaphanh provinces, thereby improving living standards of local residents and further strengthening their solidarity.

He called on relevant agencies and local authorities in both nations to prioritize investment in socio-economic infrastructure in border areas and border gates, including the Long Sap–Pa Hang pair.

Viet Nam and Laos have a shared borderline of over 2,300 kilometers with 10 provinces of Viet Nam bordering with 10 Lao provinces.

Viet Nam has consistently been one of Laos's top three largest trading partners. According to Lao media, two-way trade between Viet Nam and Laos reached US$1.1 billion in the first seven months of 2024, up 16.7 percent over the same period last year./.