On the morning of March 31st, the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council received a delegation from the Salavan Provincial People's Council (Laos), led by Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, who came to visit and congratulate Nghe An province on the successful election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to the People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.

On behalf of the Salavan provincial delegation, Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, expressed sincere and profound gratitude for the warm, cordial, and fraternal welcome extended by the leaders of Nghe An province to the delegation.

Scenes from the reception.

Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat stated that the Salavan Provincial People's Council chose Nghe An province as the first locality in Vietnam for the delegation to visit and congratulate on the successful election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to the People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, because it is the homeland of the great President Ho Chi Minh.

Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat - Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, delivered a speech.

The Chairman of the Salavan Provincial People's Council shared that he had visited Nghe An 20 years ago when he was the Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union. He expressed his deep impression of the rapid development of Nghe An province in recent years.

Along with sending congratulations on the successful election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and the provincial People’s Councils of Nghe An for the 2026–2031 term, Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat also shared information about the socio-economic development of Salavan Province. Salavan is one of the more prosperous provinces in Laos, with strengths in agricultural production. Regarding foreign relations, Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat stated that Salavan Province has cooperated with several central and southern provinces of Vietnam, such as Hue and Da Nang. Through exchanges of experience with the central and northern provinces of Laos, it is known that Nghe An has established very good cooperative relationships with many provinces, including Xiangkhouang, Hua Phan, and Bolikhamsai. The cooperation results have been very positive and effective. Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat expressed the hope that during this visit, Salavan Province will become a strategic partner, achieve comprehensive cooperation, and strengthen its cooperative relationship with Nghe An Province in the near future, contributing to better development for Salavan.

On this occasion, the Chairman of the Salavan Provincial People's Council, Mr. Si Heng Hom Som Bat, respectfully extended an invitation to the high-level delegation from Nghe An province, especially the Nghe An Provincial People's Council, to visit Salavan province in the near future; and wished for the friendship and solidarity between the two provinces and two countries to continue to flourish.

Hoang Nghia Hieu, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, delivered a speech.

Hoang Nghia Hieu, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council, expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegation from the Salavan Provincial People’s Council, congratulating them on the successful election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and to the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term in the province.

On March 15, 2026, more than 2.3 million voters in Nghe An province, along with voters nationwide, participated in the election of representatives to the 16th National Assembly and representatives to People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.

Recognizing the election as a particularly important political task, the entire political system of Nghe An Province concentrated its efforts under the close leadership and guidance of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Provincial Election Committee, and the Provincial Election Steering Committee; with decisive, scientific, timely, professional, and creative direction from the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Council, the Provincial People’s Committee, the Election Committee, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, and the election-related organizations and agencies at all levels, from the provincial to grassroots levels.

The election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and to the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term was conducted in a democratic, lawful, and equal manner, ensuring safety and cost-effectiveness, and was a great success, truly a major festival for all the people of Nghe An Province. Voter turnout reached 99.86%, the highest ever. The election results successfully elected deputies to the National Assembly, 85 provincial People’s Council deputies, and 2,910 commune-level People’s Council deputies.

Immediately after the election results were announced, the Party committees, government at all levels, and various sectors of the province focused on preparing and successfully organizing the first session of the Provincial People's Council and the People's Councils at the commune level. Currently, the province is carrying out the procedures and submitting the necessary documents to the competent authorities for approval of the leadership positions of the People's Councils and People's Committees at all levels, ensuring compliance with the timeline, process, and regulations.

Sharing about the socio-economic situation of the province, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council Hoang Nghia Hieu noted that Nghe An has certain similarities with Salavan Province in terms of natural area; however, Nghe An has a larger population of nearly 3.8 million people. In 2025, Nghe An’s economic growth rate reached 8.44%, ranking 13th nationwide. The province made a breakthrough in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), reaching over USD 1 billion. For three consecutive years, Nghe An has consistently ranked among the top 10 provinces nationwide in FDI attraction. Nghe An is striving to become a regional center for education and healthcare in the North Central region. In education, both specialized and general education quality consistently ranks among the top in the country. Notably, in 2025, Nghe An achieved the highest nationwide results in the national high school graduation examinations.

Every year, Nghe An trains approximately 200 students from Laos, coming from provinces such as Vientiane, Xiangkhouang, Hua Phan, Bolikhamsai, Xaysomboun, and Phongsaly. This reflects the strengthening of the special friendship between the two nations and between Nghe An and the Lao provinces. The people of Nghe An always hold a special affection for Lao students. Annually, the province organizes meetings and cultural experiences in the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh, fostering close ties as if among family members.

The Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee stated that the major hospitals in Nghe An currently serve as the regional frontline, applying advanced modern medical techniques to provide healthcare services for residents within the province as well as for neighboring provinces such as Ha Tinh and provinces in Laos.

Nghe An province has a border stretching 468.281 km, bordering three provinces of Laos (Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan, and Bolikhamsai). Therefore, foreign relations and cooperation between Nghe An and the provinces of Laos are always given special attention and maintained regularly.

Regarding the activities of the Provincial People’s Council, in recent times, the Nghe An Provincial People’s Council has signed cooperation agreements with the Bolikhamsai Provincial People’s Council and the Vientiane Capital People’s Council of Laos. On this visit, Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People’s Council Hoang Nghia Hieu affirmed that the two provinces will expand diplomatic relations, beginning with cooperation between their respective People’s Councils. He expressed the hope that, in the near future, the Nghe An delegation will visit Salavan Province. On behalf of the provincial leadership, the Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council wished that the cooperative relationship between the two provinces would flourish and bear fruit, and that the friendship between Vietnam and Laos would remain “evergreen and enduring forever.”

Phan Quynh