Sweden to assist road transport

The Swedish government will provide assistance to Laos in its effort to make road transport comfortable, safe and fast.

The agreement was made after the Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction (CTPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Swedish National Road Administration to provide an assistance package and cooperation in improving the Lao road sector.

The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of CTPC in Vientiane where its Deputy Minister, Sommad Pholsena, and representative of the Swedish Administration, Mr Ingemar Skogo, signed the MOU in front of Lao and Swedish high ranking officials.

The MOU points out that two sides will conduct mutual consultations, and exchange of specialists and trainees. In addition they will exchange information on organisational matters, road safety implementation and management, road maintenance, training of staff and environmental issues.

The cooperation on road sector development between the two countries will last for five years, according to the MOU.

“In the MOU, the Swedish Road Administration agrees to provide assistance in terms of human resource development,” said an official of the ministry who asked not to be identified. “Some of the Swedish experts will be sent to Laos to train our staff while some of us will be sent to Sweden for training,” the official said.

Another ministry official said that after the signing of the MOU, the technical officials of the two sides will meet to discuss and find out ways to implement the agreement. Working plans for the cooperation process will be laid down.

Laos and Sweden have a long traditional of cooperation on road management. The Swedish government has provided both free financial assistance and loans with low interests for many road projects such as the asphalt pavement road project from Vientiane to Pakkading district and the road No 8 renovation project from Borlikhamxay to Vietnam.

In addition, there are long term cooperation projects such as the Lao-Swedish projects from 1997 to 2009.

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