Laos to launch joint venture bourse with Korea next year

Vientiane, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- Laos will launch a stock market exchange currently
being developed in tandem with South Korean securities officials in the second
half of 2010, officials said Saturday.

Dethphouvang Moularat, president of the securities market establishment
committee, said the communist country will open the joint venture stock exchange
at 10 a.m. on Oct. 10 of next year. Actual trading will commence the next day as
the set date falls on a Sunday. Five companies are expected to be listed along
with the opening.
The Lao government signed a deal in 2007 with the Korea Exchange to establish a
joint-venture bourse in the Southeast Asian nation. Shares of some state-run
companies in Laos will be listed on the Seoul bourse in exchange for receiving
support from South Korea.
The Korea Exchange has supported the Lao government with information technology
infrastructure and management know-how for the creation of the stock exchange. It
has also helped Vietnam and Cambodia set up their own stock exchanges.
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