Expectations of a breakthrough from the economic "triangle"

Quang Tri is an important gateway on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) connecting ASEAN countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion through important traffic axes through two international border gates Lao Bao and La Lay. The advantages in domestic and international economic exchange and cooperation in trade activities are very clear, but for a long time this advantage has not been effectively promoted. How to exploit this potential? The answer may come from the economic "triangle" that Quang Tri has outlined and is striving to soon become a reality.

Potential for logistics development

EWEC is identified as one of the main corridors 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. Quang Tri is considered the starting point on the Vietnamese side of this economic corridor, and is a vital traffic intersection between the North and the South. In particular, there is a trans-Asian route connecting Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos through Lao Bao International Border Gate to the central provinces of Vietnam conveniently.

Expectations of a breakthrough from the economic

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Tien (3rd from left) and leaders of departments, branches and sectors inspected the scene of National Highway 15D - Photo: LT

In addition, the locality has great potential as it is strategically located on the East-West economic corridor passing through National Highway 9 through the Quang Tri Economic Corridor (Vietnam), Salavan (Laos) and Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) named PARA EWEC with a length of more than 420 km. This corridor is the shortest connection from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean passing through Myanmar, Northeast Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

In addition, through Quang Tri, there are also important traffic routes such as National Highway 1, North-South railway, Ho Chi Minh road East and West branches, North-South expressway, National Highway 9 connected to the Trans-Asia road... helping the locality to have convenient economic exchanges with provinces in the North Central region, the Central Coast and the whole country; 75 km long coastline with Cua Viet port infrastructure of nearly 120 hectares operating with a capacity of 400,000 tons of goods/year...

In fact, for a long time, most of the goods cleared through the two international border gates of Lao Bao and La Lay in Quang Tri have been transported to border gates and seaports in other localities. Therefore, the planning of logistics centers and warehouse systems and cargo ports in the area has been included in the socio-economic planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. This is an important premise for Quang Tri to open up cooperation in international freight transport, trade development, services and tourism on the two strategic economic corridors EWEC and PARA EWEC.

Investing in infrastructure to connect the economic "triangle"

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Tien, among the key projects agreed upon by the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, a "triangle" connecting the two international border gates of Lao Bao, La Lay and My Thuy Port Area opens up the prospect of a breakthrough for the province's economy. To realize this, Quang Tri will have to make greater efforts in calling for investment in infrastructure associated with commodity production, import and export, and domestic trade through dynamic projects, contributing to promoting and creating breakthroughs in key economic sectors.

A project considered the "backbone" in the economic "triangle" outlined by the province is being actively promoted by the locality, which is the My Thuy Port Area project in Hai Lang district. When completed, the project will have specialized port areas serving mainly industrial establishments in the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone and industrial parks in the area, combining the amount of transit goods from Laos, Northeast Thailand through the two international border gates of Lao Bao, La Lay along the EWEC and PARA EWEC routes to Vietnam. Currently, the investor, My Thuy International Port Joint Stock Company (MTIP), is actively coordinating with the locality to carry out procedures and complete site clearance to prepare for construction.

In addition, in early 2023, the VSICO Quang Tri Dry Port Project at the expanded border gate cluster in the Lao Bao Special Economic - Commercial Zone was approved for investment policy and approved for the investor, VSICO Maritime Joint Stock Company. According to the roadmap, the project will be put into operation in the first quarter of 2026 to meet the needs of providing cargo handling, warehousing and direct support services related to transportation and customs clearance of goods at the Lao Bao International Border Gate area.

Along with that, to gradually complete the infrastructure towards the goal of connecting the 3 bridges in the logistics "triangle", Quang Tri is making efforts to build a highway from Lao Bao International Border Gate to the inland to shorten the distance; complete the infrastructure at La Lay International Border Gate and propose the Prime Minister to approve the plan to transport coal from Laos to Vietnam through La Lay International Border Gate using a conveyor system to increase transport productivity; at the same time, urge the construction and upgrading of National Highway 15D connecting to My Thuy Port Area.

Expectations of a breakthrough from the economic

Perspective of My Thuy Port Project - Photo: LT

With the Cam Lo - Lao Bao Expressway project with a length of nearly 60 km, the pre-feasibility study report has been completed by Son Hai Group Company Limited. The Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee highly agreed with the project report's contents and agreed to establish a steering committee and a working group to accompany the investor in implementing the next steps soon.

Regarding the important traffic route National Highway 15D, on October 13, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee sent a document to the Government Office requesting a report to the Prime Minister for approval to assign the locality as a competent state agency to call for investment in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) for the uninvested section. Because this is an important traffic route connecting My Thuy Deep-water Port in the My Thuy Port Area project to La Lay International Border Gate with an actual length of about 92 km.

However, only about 50 km of the old road with 2 lanes is currently seriously degraded, and about 42 km from National Highway 1 to the West branch of Ho Chi Minh Road has not been built. If completed, National Highway 15D will create the shortest trade connection route between Quang Tri and the countries on the PARA EWEC with a straight transport distance of only about 60 km instead of the current 250 km by the roundabout from La Lay International Border Gate to My Thuy beach.

When these projects are completed and put into operation, goods from neighboring countries through the ports at the two border gates of Quang Tri will follow these key traffic routes to the deep-water port in My Thuy Port Area smoothly, creating an economic "triangle" through the ports.

“A positive signal is that the Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister on December 29, 2023. This is an important premise for the locality to make further efforts in the process of realizing the logistics “triangle” connection towards the goal of becoming a regional freight transit center.

The province has focused resources, prioritized investment in construction and gradually completed the infrastructure system, promoted investment attraction; strengthened the establishment of cooperative relations with the central provinces of Laos and the northeastern region of Thailand so that businesses can increase exchanges, cooperation, and develop transportation; accelerated the implementation of the Project to develop the Lao Bao - Densavanh common cross-border economic and trade zone...

In addition, Quang Tri is in great need of support from central ministries and branches, especially in the issue of building support mechanisms and policies; improving the capacity of local officials in logistics service management... Only then, the economic "triangle" connecting the two border gates and My Thuy Port Area on transnational economic corridors will contribute to helping Quang Tri strongly shift its economic structure to strive by 2030 to basically be an industrial - service province with a strong marine economy and border gates, making an important contribution to the bridge of regional and international integration", Mr. Le Duc Tien affirmed.

Le Truong

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