The International Poverty Reduction Centre in China (IPRCC) will provide US$5 million this year to assist in eradicating poverty in two villages in Vientiane and Luang Prabang province.
The money will be used to alleviate poverty in Xam village of Sangthong district, Vientiane and in Xienglome village of Luang Prabang district, Luang Prabang province.
At the end of this month a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony will be held in the capital between representatives of the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (NRDPE) of Laos and the Coo peration Division of IPRCC.
At the same time, the International Poverty Reduction Centre in China will meet with representatives of Myanmar and Cambodia to sign agreements to assist in their respective poverty eradication efforts.
A Lao-Chinese Seminar on Poverty Reduction was held at the NRDPE on Monday, and was attended by Vice Chair of NRDPE Mr. Thongvanh Vilayheuang, Chief of Cooperation Division, IPRCC Ms Li Shaojun, and senior officials from various organisations.
The seminar’s aim was to share lessons learned by Lao officials from training programmes in China, to discuss the roles and functions of the Chinese delegations visiting Laos and perspectives of NRDPE tasks, while also targeting capacity building in rural development and poverty eradication for Lao government staff from different sectors.
Mr. Thongvanh said the seminar was very important for assisting poverty eradication and strengthening the traditional and longstanding good relationship between Laos and China.
Laos has been collaborating with the International Poverty Reduction Centre in China, engaging in seven types of training programmes and high level visits to focus on sharing experiences and upgrading methodologies based on China’s extensive efforts to alleviate poverty.
We are exchanging experiences with each other to try to eradicate poverty. Laos has good land, electricity and water so the country has a good environment with its small population. Laos is in a better condition than China with its very large population and about 50 million people around the country still living in poverty, Ms Li said. Cooperation with neighbouring countries was crucial to exchange lessons learned and to facilitate poverty eradication efforts, she added.
Source: Vientiane Times
