Vietnam will establish an association of Vietnamese agricultural enterprises investing in Laos, which is expected to debut in April, according to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.

The association will be a channel to connect and share information to help promote investment cooperation in the field of agriculture between the two countries, he told a recent conference held to boost agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

Laos, meanwhile, will set up an association of Lao businesses cooperating with Vietnam, he said.

While Laos’ market scale is small and has low purchasing power, it is a gateway for Vietnamese products to enter other markets such as Thailand and China, according to the minister.

Vietnam has invested strongly in Laos over recent years, particularly in the field of agriculture.

Of nearly 240 projects from Vietnamese businesses in Laos, with total capital of $5.4 billion, 49 are in agriculture.