Indonesia is planning a railway project between Vietnam and Laos

(Engineering Daily) Nguyen Anh Duong = It seems that the Indonesian investment in the railway project linking Vietnam and Laos will proceed.

According to sources in Vietnam, HT Engineering & Construction of Vietnam and Laos Oil and Trade Corp. recently signed an agreement on railway construction.

The project, which will cost about $2 billion over a 400㎞ stretch, is expected to follow southern Laos and central Vietnam.

Currently, Indonesia's PT INKA Group has reportedly announced a $630 million investment plan, and the Indonesian government has also been raising interest since 2017, according to the news agency.

If this project is put on the main track, it will start full-scale construction from the end of 2021 and expect completion by 2024. After the completion, it is expected to boost trade between Laos and Vietnam, as well as expand imports of potassium and mineral resources, which Indonesia imports from Laos at an annual volume of 1 million tons.