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Implementing Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated November 3, 2022 of the Politburo on "Socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the North Central and Central Coast regions to 2030, with a vision to 2045"; the Provincial Party Committee's policy on piloting the construction of the Lao Bao (Quang Tri) - Densavan (Savannakhet, Laos) cross-border economic and trade zone (KTTM), after a period of urgent and serious preparation, on March 15, 2024, in Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, the workshop "Lao Bao - Densavan cross-border economic and trade zone: From idea to reality" will take place. On this occasion, Quang Tri Newspaper reporter interviewed comrade HA SY DONG, member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee about the content of the upcoming important workshop.
- Dear comrade! From the idea to the reality of building the pilot model of "Common cross-border economic zone Lao Bao - Densavan" (abbreviated as the Common cross-border economic zone) is a process of efforts from the central to local levels to concretize the policy of the Politburo of Vietnam - Laos. Could you tell us the reason why Quang Tri province was chosen by the Government to implement this pilot model?
- Since 1997, the Politburo of Vietnam and Laos has been interested in and agreed on the pilot study of building a common cross-border economic zone. This content has also been determined in Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated November 3, 2022 of the Politburo on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the North Central and Central Coast regions to 2030, with a vision to 2045 and the national master plan, which mentioned: "Promoting economic cooperation through border gates in the region associated with the East-West Economic Corridor. Pilot study of the model of a cross-border economic zone on the East-West Economic Corridor".
Quang Tri has many advantages in terms of geographical location, being the starting point of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), a 1,450 km long road route passing through 13 provinces and cities of four countries (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam). With the province's location as the starting point to the East of Vietnam through the Lao Bao International Border Gate, Quang Tri has become one of the centers for exchange and development cooperation with domestic localities and countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion; and one of the gateways to the East Sea of countries and territories on the EWEC through the future My Thuy deep-water seaport.
Quang Tri has a relatively complete and synchronously planned transport infrastructure with deep-water seaports, roads, waterways, North-South railways, and airports under construction, facilitating the circulation of goods and passengers, creating conditions for the development of economic, investment, trade, service, and tourism activities on a national and regional scale.
In particular, the Lao Bao Special Economic Zone, formerly known as the Lao Bao Commercial Zone, was established on November 12, 1998 under Decision No. 219/1998/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister promulgating the Regulation on the Economic and Trade Development Promotion Zone of Lao Bao, Quang Tri Province (Lao Bao Commercial Zone), followed by Decision No. 11/2005/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2005 promulgating the Regulation on the Lao Bao Special Economic Zone, in order to apply specific preferential policies and mechanisms to promote regional economic development.
The Lao Bao Special Economic Zone (Vietnam) as well as the Densavan Border Trade Zone (Laos) were formed based on the advantages of the region, the special friendship between the two countries, the policy of the two Politburoes as well as the determination of the two Governments of Vietnam and Laos in selecting and establishing a common area, allowing the pilot application of specific policies.
Lao Bao international border gate has invested in building modern and spacious infrastructure - Photo: TT
After more than 25 years of construction and development, the two economic zones have contributed to changing the face of the border areas, making important contributions to the development of the two provinces of Quang Tri and Savannakhet. However, in addition to the achieved results, there are still limitations and shortcomings, and the potential advantages have not been fully exploited. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the policy mechanism to continue to create motivation for the Lao Bao - Densavan area to develop in line with the trend of global economic integration.
In order to promote the potential of Lao Bao Special Economic Zone and Densavan Border Trade Zone, contributing to promoting local economic development in particular and regional economic development in general with spillover effects, enhancing the effectiveness of Vietnam - Laos friendship cooperation, from 2015 to present, Quang Tri province has proactively proposed to the central government the direction of researching and building a common cross-border economic zone Lao Bao - Densavan.
In Document No. 35-TB/VPTW dated April 21, 2017 of the Central Party Office announcing the results of the visit and work of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Quang Tri province, it agreed to "Choose Quang Tri province as a point for research and propose to the Politburo and the Governments of Vietnam and Laos to pilot a number of outstanding mechanisms and policies in the Lao Bao Special Economic Zone and the Densavan Border Trade Zone".
Next, according to the proposal of Quang Tri province at the working session with Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and Document No. 6977/VPCP-QHDP dated August 7, 2019 of the Government Office, the Ministry of Planning and Investment - the Standing Agency of the Sub-Committee in the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee presides over and coordinates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province and relevant agencies to develop the Project on Development of the Lao Bao (Quang Tri) - Densavan (Savannakhet) Cross-border Economic Zone. The Ministry of Planning and Investment assigned the Institute of Development Strategy to be the focal point to assist the Ministry in coordinating with the People's Committee of Quang Tri province to study and develop the project.
Based on the above project, on September 14, 2021, the Government Office issued Document No. 6455/VPCP-QHQT agreeing to "assign the People's Committee of Quang Tri province to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and relevant agencies to discuss with the Lao side about your policies, consider and study the overall plan for building a common cross-border economic zone towards building a cross-border economic zone at the appropriate time".
On that basis, Quang Tri province has established Working Group 626 to draft the Project on building a common cross-border economic zone and the draft bilateral agreement. In order to have a basis for reporting and completing the draft to submit to the Governments of the two countries, we continue to receive opinions from experts, businesses and organize a workshop to widely collect opinions on March 15, 2024.
- According to the Draft Project on building a common cross-border economic zone, how will the model operate, sir?
- The draft Project on building a common cross-border economic zone is expected to operate under the model of "Two countries, one economic zone", with common mechanisms, policies and operational management; with special preferential policies based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, respecting each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On the basis of compliance with the legal requirements of both sides and international practices, the Lao Bao - Densavan cross-border economic zone will be unified in a common regional planning, common organization and operation, common infrastructure construction in the central area and connecting infrastructure inside and outside the central area; facilitating cross-border transport and logistics connections.
Establish and implement the "three in one" mechanism (three coins: same policy, same rules, same standards and one common zone), applying the highest preferential mechanisms and policies that the Vietnamese and Lao governments are applying in the economic and trade zones of the two countries.
New, attractive special policy mechanisms on investment, "non-tariff" solutions of the two governments will overcome barriers, facilitate labor, investment procedures, loans... for investment projects, attracting domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in the common cross-border economic zone.
- Comrade, at this workshop, what key issues will the two sides discuss to complete the project?
- The purpose of organizing the workshop is for the two sides to exchange the contents of the Pilot Project to build a common cross-border economic zone, focusing on promoting and introducing the potential advantages of resources, feasible legal basis and preferential mechanisms and policies to facilitate businesses to invest and do business in the common cross-border economic zone.
Introduce the Free Trade Zone/Tax-free Zone model. Continue to introduce the potential, strengths, and investment opportunities to strongly attract resources to invest in the Lao Bao Special Economic Zone (Vietnam) and the Densavan Border Trade Zone (Laos). Create a channel for direct meetings and exchanges, promote cooperative relationships between Quang Tri province and domestic and international organizations, businesses, and investors; solicit business opinions on mechanisms and preferential policies expected to be applied in the common cross-border economic zone.
The opinions at the workshop will be a source of information to absorb and complete the Project and Draft Agreement on piloting the construction of a cross-border economic zone between the governments of Vietnam and Laos.
At the same time, it conveys development orientations, potentials, strengths, preferential policies, investment attraction, introduces industrial parks, industrial clusters, duty-free zones, and investment calling projects of Quang Tri province to domestic and foreign partners and investors.
Thank you, comrade!
Thanh Truc (performed)
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