Annual Lao-Thai fair kicks off at Lao-ITECC
Annual Lao-Thai fair kicks off at Lao-ITECC
The annual Lao-Thai Trade Fair 2013 was officially opened at Lao-ITECC in Vientiane yesterday, aimed at boosting trade and business relations between Lao and Thai business operators.
The organisers of the five day trade fair, running from July 3-7, want to see more than 5 billion kip (20 million Thai baht) in deals done at this year's event, a 25 percent increase on previous years' efforts.
Guests who were present at the opening ceremony included the Director General of the Trade and Product Promotion Department, Mr Somvang Ninthavong, the Minister Counsellor of the Office of Commercial Affairs of the Royal Thai Embassy to Laos, Ms Pimol Pongkongkaew, along with other high ranking officials of the two countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms Pimol said “It is hoped that this trade fair will encourage and promote business relations and tighten the trade cooperation between Laos and Thailand.”
She also added that this function will pave the way towards growing the socio-economic development of the two neighbouring countries as well as to progress the integration necessary for the Asean Economic Community in 2015.
More than 300 booths are displaying a wide variety of products such as automobile parts, construction materials, household items, clothes, educational equipment, food and health products and other industrial items.
Fashionable clothes, interior decoration items, accessories and other unspecified products are also available at the fair.
A collaborative event between Thailand's Ministry of Commerce and the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the fair also aims to promote trade relations between small and medium-d enterprises in the two countries as well as to encourage familiarisation with the markets prior to the formation of the Asean Economic Community.
According to the fair organisers, vocational training courses will also be offered throughout the fair for those interested in learning more about certain trade activities and products, such as some hand-made items.
Every evening during the fair, many famous artists and singers from Thailand and Laos will give live concerts to entertain and attract fair goers.
The trade fair, this year entitled ‘Laos-Thailand Sourcing and Business Matching 2013', will allow business operators from the two neighbouring countries the opportunity to negotiate further trade cooperation for the future.
vientiane times
