Vientiane, March 29 -- A railway project linking Thakhek township in Khammouane province of Laos and the Mu Gia border gate in Vietnam's Quang Binh province under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model has received in-principle approval from the Lao National Assembly (NA) at the inaugural session of its 10th legislature.

The project is seen as a strategic step to help transform Laos from a landlocked country into one better connected to regional and global markets via the East-West Economic Corridor.

At the session, which concluded on March 27, lawmakers also adopted the 10th five-year national socio-economic development plan for 2026-2030, and approved the organisational structure of the NA, the Government, and key state agencies.

The...