Several cooperation agreements were signed at the fifth meeting of aworking group between Vietnam’s four northern mountainous provinces ofHa Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Dien Bien and China’s Yunnan province onDecember 18.

They include an agreement oncoordination regulations on border labour management between Ha Giangand Yunnan, and another on cooperation between Ha Giang’s Dong Van KarstPlateau and Yunnan’s Shi Lin (Stone Forest) National Park.

Speaking at the event in Ha Giang, Yunnan’s Deputy Governor Gao ShuXun said that the relations between his province and the Vietnameseborder localities have seen strong developments in all fields over thepast years.

In the time to come, Yunnan willcontinue its cooperation with the Vietnamese side in order to expand andfurther enhance the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperationpartnership, he added.

According to Vice Chairman ofthe Ha Giang provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Tien, after thefourth meeting held in Yunnan in June 2012, both sides have sped upcooperation in the management of border and border gates so as tomaintain peace and stability and facilitate the travel of humans andgoods exchanges.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang MinhKhoi asserted that enhancing the friendship and mutually-beneficialcooperation between border localities is important to the two countries’relations so due attention and support have always been given to thework.

Since 2012, the localities’ totalimport-export value has hit nearly 5 billion USD and their collaborationin building transport infrastructure has made progress.-VNA