Vietnamese investors have ranked third among foreign investors in the Lao stock market, said Vathana Dalaloy, secretary general of the Lao Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dalaloy made the comments during her working visit to Vietnam 's State Securities Commission earlier this week. She said the Lao stock market is in the early stage of development, focusing on market development and completing the legal framework for the stock market to ensure its World Trade Organisation commitments.

Laos has drafted a law on the securities market after consultations with the Vietnamese side, and the legislation is expected to be issued later this year. Earlier, the two commissions signed a memorandum of understanding on boosting co-operation on information exchange.