Vientiane, Nov. 11 -- Vietnam and Laos are stepping up a plan to expand cross-border QR code payments and promote the use of their respective national currencies in bilateral financial transactions, aiming to boost trade and investment and achieve 10 billion USD in two-way trade in the coming years. The cooperation plan was discussed during the 2026 annual meeting held in early November, which was attended by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Bank of Laos (BOL). The meeting was co-chaired by SBV Governor Pham Duc An and BOL Governor Bounkham Volachit. The two governors reviewed macroeconomic developments, the use of national currencies in payments and cross-border transfers, and progress in connecting retail payment systems via QR c...