Quang Tri expands development space to the West

Coal imported through La Lay International Border Gate - Photo: NTH

Strengthening cooperation with Lao provinces

Implementing the Project to promote Vietnamese investment in Laos until 2025 in Document No. 2390 dated November 9, 2015 of the Government Office, in recent times, Quang Tri enterprises have coordinated well with local authorities of Laos to effectively implement investment projects, such as: Rubber planting investment project of Quang Tri Rubber One Member Co., Ltd. in Sa Muoi district, Salavan province with a total investment of 203 billion VND; Ecological coffee supply chain project of Slow Forest Coffee Company in Quang Tri province, with a total approved area of ​​930 hectares; Quang Tri Electricity Company sells electricity for daily life and production to all residents in the border areas of the two provinces of Savannakhet and Salavan...

Quang Tri province has attracted investment from a number of Lao investors such as Lao Viet Energy Company Limited of Xekong Power Plant Company Limited. In the field of coal import and export through the La Lay (Quang Tri) - La Lay (Salavan) international border gate pair, investors from the two countries have conducted research, surveys and proposed to implement investment projects on infrastructure. Currently, the investment policy for the coal conveyor project, unloading yard, coal transit warehouse, services and infrastructure serving transportation activities has been approved with the volume of coal imported from Laos to Vietnam possibly reaching 500 million tons within the next 50 years.

Quang Tri province has a long tradition of cooperative relations with two provinces sharing the border of Laos, Savannakhet and Salavan, in many fields and has begun signing cooperation agreements with Champasak and Sekong provinces since 2023. Especially in the fields of economy, trade, tourism and development of the Parallel Corridor with the East-West Economic Corridor (PARA EWEC), in recent times, Quang Tri province has proactively coordinated with Savannakhet province to study the Project on building a common cross-border economic and trade zone Lao Bao-Densavan and submitted it to the competent authorities of the two countries for permission to implement it to maximize the advantage of the province as a bridgehead of EWEC towards Vietnam, creating a new driving force to promote socio-economic development cooperation between Quang Tri and Savannakhet provinces.

This is a commercial area oriented to be built according to the model of a new type of "free trade zone", uniformly applying a number of mechanisms and preferential policies higher than the legal regulations of each country to strongly attract investors, create favorable conditions for enterprises in production and business; at the same time create the most favorable conditions for travel and exchange of goods of residents in the commercial area.

Currently, the road connecting National Highway 9 from Ban Dong - the starting point of Densavan Border Trade Zone on the Lao side to Ta Oi district, Salavan province, connecting with National Highway 15B from La Lay International Border Gate to Salavan, Sekong, Champasak provinces of Laos, the area with large Kaleum coal mine reserves and Boloven plateau with potential for agricultural products in Southern Laos has been opened, opening up a new transport corridor and space for cooperation and development in the border area between Vietnam and Laos.

The border market at Lao Bao Trade Center attracts visitors to visit and shop - Photo: TH

In the orientation for the period 2025-2030, Quang Tri province continues to strengthen and promote cooperation with localities of Laos in many areas where the province has potential and advantages such as: agriculture, agro-forestry processing industry, mining, trade, infrastructure construction, transportation and logistics services. These are also areas in which Lao provinces wish to promote cooperation with Quang Tri province, creating new momentum to promote socio-economic development in the border areas of Vietnam and Laos.

Transport connectivity to increase regional connectivity

Quang Tri has a favorable geographical location in the center, adjacent to the key economic region of the Central region, intersecting the North-South and East-West axes. The province has vital transportation systems of roads, railways, waterways, and airways, which are important bridges in the strategy of expanding economic cooperation in the region, trading goods, international transportation, developing trade, services, and domestic and international inter-regional tourism. Since 1998, Quang Tri province has proactively participated in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation program and the cooperation program for developing this corridor.

In recent years, Quang Tri province has focused on innovation and improving the investment attraction environment for infrastructure construction, especially connecting transport infrastructure, to exploit the advantages of the province at the head of Vietnam on the East-West Economic Corridor connecting with Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. Currently, Quang Tri is a major construction site and attracting investment in key projects to turn this land into a regional and international logistics center such as: My Thuy Port Project; Quang Tri Airport; Coastal Road connecting the East-West Economic Corridor; Quang Tri Industrial Park; VSICO Dry Port; CFG Nam Cua Viet Port and the project to build a conveyor system to transport coal from Laos to Vietnam.

In addition, the province is implementing important transport projects to strengthen regional connectivity such as: Coastal road connecting the East-West Economic Corridor; Eastern bypass of Dong Ha city; Cam Lo-La Son expressway; Cam Lo-Van Ninh expressway. Along with that, investors are interested in researching, surveying and proposing investment in strategic transport projects under the PPP public-private partnership method such as: Cam Lo-Lao Bao Expressway investment project, National Highway 15D investment project...

In parallel with promoting the advantages of the East-West Economic Corridor, Quang Tri province proactively coordinated with Salavan, Champasak (Laos), Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) provinces to propose that the governments of the countries agree to the policy of implementing the PARA EWEC Corridor. At the same time, the provinces along the corridor will promote investment attraction to complete transport infrastructure, build logistics infrastructure, complete international border gate infrastructure, and reform administrative procedures to facilitate the synchronous circulation of people and goods.

Proposing that the Governments of Vietnam and Laos agree on the policy of building the La Lay (Quang Tri) - La Lay (Salavan) border economic zone to exploit and promote the potential and strengths of each province and each country. Regarding Quang Tri province, the 2025-2030 period focuses on proposing to call for investment to complete National Highway 15D connecting La Lay International Border Gate to My Thuy Deep-water Seaport. This is a new route that is considered to contribute significantly to promoting the socio-economic development of the Southwest region of Quang Tri province in particular, creating mutual support to promote the development of the East-West Economic Corridor in general.

The East-West Economic Corridor has been identified as one of the main corridors in Resolution 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 2050, and the National Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

When My Thuy deep-water seaport in Quang Tri is put into operation at the end of 2025, it will connect and shorten the distance of cargo transportation on EWEC and PARA EWEC to the Pacific Ocean, about 150 km closer than Da Nang, contributing to creating an attraction to increase regional connectivity, expanding the development connection space of Quang Tri province to the West.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/quang-tri-mo-rong-khong-gian-phat-trien-ve-phia-tay-192899.htm