At the signing ceremony, there were Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Chu Ngoc Anh, and Lao Minister of Science and Technology Boviengkham Vongdala, along with a large number of leaders and representatives of affiliated units of The Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and Laos.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Office of Intellectual Property, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Science and Technology of Lao is a development step in the bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Laos on intellectual property.

With its many local specialties, the geographical indication protection system is gaining social attention and priority in the national intellectual property policy of Vietnam and Laos.

So far, Vietnam has had 63 products bearing protected geographical indications, mainly agricultural products, such as rice, fruits, tea, coffee, fish sauce, etc. While the Laos' s geographic indication system is also actively considering to be able to protect its first geographical indication, Khao Kai Noy sticky rice.