The Vietnamese Government has donated over US$2.1 million to help Laos build a new secondary school in Xayaboury Province, Lao media has reported.

They quoted Xayaboury provincial authorities as saying that the project resulted from long-term cooperation between the governments of Laos and Vietnam to improve the educational environment.

The new school provides local students with better learning facilities in line with the development policies of the province and the Lao Government on education and human resources development.

Officials attend handing over ceremony of Laos-Vietnam Friendship Vocational School. Photo: VNA

Preparations are underway for the new school's construction, consisting of a three-storey building with 27 classrooms, a multi-purpose building, and related facilities.

The Lao Government thanked the Vietnamese Government for its financial support for educational infrastructure, stressing that the school will contribute to the long-standing ties, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The new school is expected to open in mid-2025.

Over the years, the Lao and Vietnamese governments have cooperated in many areas, including economic development, education, public health, agriculture, trade, tourism, and human resources development, according to Lao media.

They stressed that the two nations are jointly carrying out high-quality projects in education and human resources development for the 2021-2030 period.

Cooperation in education is one of the symbols of the great friendship and special solidarity between the two nations, Lao Minister of Education and Sports Phout Simmalavong said on the occasion of the celebration of the 2022 Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year.

The minister stressed that during the struggle for national liberation, Vietnam not only helped Laos develop education in the liberated areas of Laos but also set up schools in Vietnam to receive Lao students.

"Over the past six decades, Vietnam has helped Laos train thousands of officials in all fields, from politics, administration, security, and defense to research. Many of them became key officials in various periods of national defense and construction," the minister said.