Hanoi (VNA) – ꦛVietnam and Laos agreed to create favourable conditions for vocational training institutions to cooperate and exchange experience; and encourage the management and cooperation related to skilled migrant workers between the two countries.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) of Vietnam, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos signed an agreement on human resources development within the framework of the Vietnam - Laos Special Ministerial Conference on Labour, Social Welfare and Human Resources Development on November 29 in the northern province of Quang Ninh. The conference was held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Regarding vocational education, MoLISA Minister Dao Ngoc Dung said the two sides have diversified forms of cooperation. These include short-term training, collaboration in enhancing the skills of labourers and assisting them to participate in ASEAN skill contests. In the field of social welfare, the exchange of delegations to share mechanisms and policies under the rotation mechanism has contributed to strengthening the comprehensive cooperation relations between the two ministries, he added. Cooperation in labour, society and human resource development between Vietnam and Laos has also attracted the participation of businesses and localities, especially those that share the border lines and have established twinning cooperation, and specialised units of the two ministries. The Vietnamese official said he hopes the signing of the cooperation agreement will continue to promote cooperation between the two sides in a specific and practical direction in line with the potential and close cooperative relations between the two countries. Participants were updated on the situation related to labour, social welfare, social security and human resources development of the two countries. The two sides also evaluated the implementation of the minutes of the 7th Vietnam - Laos Special Ministerial Conference on Labour, Social Welfare and Human Resources Development in 2021 and the outcomes of their cooperation programmes over the year, while sharing experience in human resources development and social welfare. Vietnam and Laos agreed to create favourable conditions for their labourers to work in each country, share experience in developing vocational skills, managing migrant labourers, and supporting workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also together promote exchange of delegations and experience sharing in ensuring social security, including support for landmine victims, occupational safety and health, and disabled people. Participants discussed orientations for cooperation in 2023 between the two ministries and reached a consensus on the need to sketch out strategic cooperation orientations, share experiences, and support each other in policymaking relating to the management of the labour market and human resource development. They also discussed enhancing cooperation in training on vocational skill development, building sets of national vocational skill standards, and train and improve professional competence. The two sides will create favourable conditions for vocational training institutions to cooperate and exchange experience; strengthening the exchange of experiences in the development of laws and policies. They will also encourage localities and related organisations to associate with one another and expanding cooperation in the field of labour and social welfare, and cooperate with and support enterprises in implementing projects on training and developing vocational skills. The two ministries will continue to conduct short-term and long-term training for officials of the two sides with ODA capital funded by the Vietnamese government. They will keep regular contacts in order to assess the achieved results, and at the same time consider proposals to the Governments of the two countries to remove difficulties and obstacles./.