The East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) is one of the five economic corridors in the Greater Mekong Subregion established in October 1998, passing through 13 provinces and cities of four countries: Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. This is considered an important element to enhance economic development cooperation in the Mekong Subregion.
Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Governor of Sekong Province (Laos) Lec-lay Sy-vy-lay (right cover) and Secretary of the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee Le Quang Tung signed cooperation contents in March 2024 - Photo: LT
Opening international cooperation from the West
With these advantages, the province has strongly promoted cooperation and association with EWEC in recent times. In 2024, two high-ranking delegations of Quang Tri province visited and worked in Sekong, Salavan, Champasak and Savannakhet provinces (Laos) to visit, learn and sign important cooperation agreements in the socio-economic field.
Sekong Province has the Kaleum coal mine in Kaleum district - the largest open-pit coal mine in Laos, exploited by the Phonesack Group. This coal mine has reserves of about 800 million tons, of which 400 million tons are used as fuel for the company's thermal power plant, the rest is exploited. The total reserves exploited in 2024 are estimated at about 22.6 million tons, of which about 19 million tons are exported abroad, of which 11 million tons are for the Vietnamese market. Coal is imported into Vietnam through the international border gates (CKQT) La Lay (Quang Tri province) and La Lay (Salavan province) Laos.
At this coal mine, in late January 2024 and March 2024, two consecutive delegations of senior leaders of Quang Tri province visited and worked with the joint venture of investors Phonesack Group, Hoanh Son Group Joint Stock Company and Nam Tien Company Limited (abbreviated as Phonesack Joint Venture). The purpose of this visit and work is to promote projects, facilitate the transportation and export of coal from Laos to Vietnam via La Lay International Border Gate.
At the working sessions, the leaders of Quang Tri province affirmed that the locality always prioritizes facilitating businesses to transport coal from Laos to Vietnam via La Lay International Border Gate. To remove difficulties and obstacles, the province requested relevant departments, branches and localities to actively coordinate with investors to speed up the completion of procedures to speed up the project implementation progress.
Also during the working trip to Laos in March 2024, in order to soon complete investment mechanisms to build transport infrastructure, facilitating trade of goods in border areas, senior leaders of Quang Tri province and neighboring Lao provinces agreed on the content, building the relationship to a new level with cooperation agreements signed in all fields.
Notably, Quang Tri - Salavan and Savannakhet provinces agreed to coordinate in researching and implementing the contents of the research results of the Project "Cooperation in implementing the Quang Tri (Vietnam) - Salavan (Laos) - Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) Economic Corridor"; Quang Tri and Savannakhet provinces will soon complete and supplement the draft to have a basis for implementing the next tasks, striving to put the Lao Bao - Densavan Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone into operation in 2025.
Regarding border gate infrastructure, Quang Tri proposed that Salavan province pay attention to expanding the area and upgrading the infrastructure at the La Lay international border gate area on the other side to facilitate the simplification of customs clearance procedures for trucks without goods when passing through the territory...
A corner of Kaleum open-pit coal mine, Sekong province, Laos - Photo: LT
For Sekong province, the content of the cooperation research is to upgrade and expand the road from Kaleum district (Sekong) to Ta Oi district (Salavan) to connect with the traffic route through Nong district to Ban Dong (Savannakhet) to Lao Bao international border gate, creating favorable conditions for trade and travel of localities, especially the transportation of coal.
The two sides agreed to jointly study solutions to promote cooperation in trade - investment, logistics services, and tourism through the corridor parallel to the East - West Economic Corridor, strongly connecting the provinces of Sekong - Champasak - Salavan - Quang Tri and the key economic region of the Central region through the La Lay International Border Gate.
Talking to reporters of Quang Tri Newspaper, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Governor of Sekong Province (Laos) Lec-lay Sy-vy-lay said: Regarding the contents signed in the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two localities, the province will make efforts to facilitate enterprises to exploit, transport and export coal from Sekong through Salavan and Savannakhet provinces to Vietnam via the La Lay - La Lay and Densavan - Lao Bao international border gates. The Party Committee and government of Sekong province are ready to welcome and create the most favorable conditions for enterprises in Vietnam in general and Quang Tri in particular to invest in the locality.
Efforts to complete synchronous infrastructure
Quang Tri province is determined to invite businesses to invest in order to create new growth poles to increase sustainable budget revenue for the locality. To do this, Quang Tri has made efforts in investing, completing synchronous infrastructure associated with commodity production, import and export, and domestic trade through dynamic projects, creating breakthroughs.
Among them, strategic and connecting projects are: coastal road connecting the East-West Economic Corridor; Cam Lo - Lao Bao Expressway; National Highway 15D; My Thuy Port Area; Quang Tri Airport, Quang Tri Industrial Park are being implemented.
Thach Han 1 Bridge, part of the coastal road project connecting the East-West Economic Corridor, is under construction - Photo: LT
La Lay International Border Gate is conveniently located for international cooperation in the West, and is the gateway connecting the Central provinces of Vietnam with the Southern provinces of Laos and the Northeastern provinces of Thailand. Therefore, Quang Tri has mobilized many resources to invest in infrastructure in this border gate area to awaken the potential and promote socio-economic development on the EWEC.
At the same time, speed up the implementation of the Project to build a conveyor system to transport coal from Laos to Vietnam within the territory of Vietnam. On June 28, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the investment policy, and at the same time approved the investor, Nam Tien Company Limited, to invest in the project with an expected conveyor length of more than 6.1 km. With a total investment of over VND 1,489 billion, after being put into operation, the conveyor system will serve the transportation of coal with a capacity of 30 million tons/year.
Regarding this project, on September 5, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the investment policy, approving the investor, Nam Tien Company Limited, to invest in building a warehouse for goods gathering in A Deng village, A Ngo commune, Dakrong district.
Regarding the results of the visit and work in the neighboring provinces of Laos, Acting Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ha Sy Dong affirmed: "The visits and work in the provinces of Sekong, Salavan, Champasak and Savannakhet by the leaders of Quang Tri province were very successful. This success is demonstrated by the warm welcome of the neighboring side to the agreed commitments to realize and raise the level of cooperation in all fields, focusing on maximizing the strengths of the province on the EWEC route. All four localities have a comprehensive cooperative relationship with Quang Tri, however, each province has its own characteristics and strengths. Therefore, for each province, Quang Tri discussed and agreed on specific tasks, all aimed at socio-economic development, maintaining national defense and security for all parties". |
However, Quang Tri still faces many difficulties and needs the support and participation of the central government to issue appropriate mechanisms and policies to develop the province into a regional and international freight transit center. Specifically, on October 9, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province reported to the Ministry of Transport on the implementation status and proposed a number of issues related to key transport projects in the province.
In particular, the province proposed to prioritize the allocation of central budget resources and promptly complete investment procedures to renovate and upgrade National Highway 15D from the West branch of Ho Chi Minh Road to La Lay International Border Gate to put into operation in 2028.
In addition, the province resolutely directed the implementation of investment in the Cam Lo - Lao Bao expressway project; reviewed and promptly submitted to the Prime Minister for direction and approval of the detailed planning of seaports, ports, wharves, pontoons, water areas, and water regions for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 for the Hai Lang LNG Project Phase 1; supported and called on enterprises of Quang Tri province in particular and Vietnam in general to increase investment in Laos...
Le Truong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/danh-thuc-tiem-nang-tren-hanh-lang-kinh-te-dong-tay-190792.htm
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