Laos’s new National Assembly building was officially handed over by Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction in Vientiane on Saturday.
The $111 million structure will serve as a legislative building as well as a cultural research center, Vietnam’s VN Express reports.
Deputy Chairman of the Lao National Assembly and head of the project steering board, Somphanh Phengkhammy, expressed high praise for the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction, who invested in the project.
Work on the building continued throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the effect on the supply of equipment and labor.
The new building is now in use as the National Assembly opens its 9th Legislature today, which will run until 26 March.
Following the session, work on the building will continue, with the goal of having it ready for full use by the end of June, according to Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Construction, Le Quang Hung.
A Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the new National Assembly building was signed in 2016, with construction commencing in 2017.
The five-story structure can accommodate up to 1,000 people.
