Most of the border line between Vietnam and Laos go through the mountain peaks or mountain ridges and through tropical jungles. The lowest part above sea level is 300 meters, the highest, 2,700 meters; the areas of border gates have the height of 500 meters, and somewhere it is 1,000 meters. In between the two countries are the high mountain ranges that form a natural border line: in the North from Apachai downwards is Pusamsau mountain range, in the South from Thanh Hóa southwards is Trường Sơn mountain range. Some passes have become the border gates connecting the two countries, while on the other border sections, most of them are dangerous, inaccessible mountains.

The inhabitants living on either side of the border areas are mostly the ethnic minority people in sparsely populated areas with hamlets far from each other and far from the border line. The material and spiritual life of the majority of people on either side of the border is still left much to be desired and backward. The communications between the two sides and in the border area of each side is very difficult without almost any motorized roads (except for some border gate areas where people live in a large number with some roads built during the war time or roads built for logging, but many of them have been downgraded).

The areas near the border have a great potential for economic development for the two countries. The people of the two countries in the border areas have a long and close relationship.

2. The history of forming the Vietnam-Laos border line

a. Under the French rule, the border between Vietnam and Laos was determined by the Decree of the Governor General of Indochina (the Decree in 1893, the Decree in 1895, the Decree in 1896; the Decree in 1900; the Decree in 1904 and the Decree in 1916).

Alongside the adjustment of land in accordance with the Agreement of the Governor General of Indochina, the French colonialists had adjusted the border line and reflected it on the Bonne map with the scale of 1/100.000 of the Indochinese Office of Geography.

b. After 1975, the two countries have made great efforts to organize negotiations on the border and territory (February 1976) and unanimously agreed to the principle that the Bonne maps with the scale of 1/100.000 of the Indochinese Office of Geography in 1945 to settle the border issue between the two countries; where there is not the map of the Indochinese Office of Geography in 1945, the map printed before or after that for several years will be used.

On July 18, 1977, the Treaty on Planning the National Border between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was signed by the representatives of the two countries in Vientiane. The successful negotiation and the signing of the Treaty on Planning the National Border is a great success of the two Parties, two Governments and people of the two countries, marking an important step in the process of building the Vietnam-Laos border into a border of peace, friendship, stability and long-term co-operation for development.

In 1978, the two sides began the demarcation and marker planting work in the whole border line between Vietnam and Laos and completed it in 1987. So in the whole Vietnam-Laos border line there is a system of national border markers with 199 markers. At the same time in this period, the two countries had resolved the arising issues relating the settlement of the border issue between the two countries such the transfer of land, hand over of inhabitants and property between the two sides, conforming to international law and practices and reflecting the realities of the historical border line formed between the two countries.

The above-said results have been recognized by the two sides in the Treaty added to the Treaty on Planning of National Border between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (January 24, 1986), the Protocol on demarcation and marker planting in the whole national border line between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (January 24, 1986), the Protocol added to the Protocol on demarcation and marker planting in the whole national border line between Vietnam and Laos (October 16, 1987).

After completing fundamentally the demarcation and marker planting work in the field in 1987, the two sides signed the Agreement on the Border Regulation on March 01, 1990 and the Protocol added to the Agreement on the Border Regulation on August 31, 1997 to create a full legal base for protection and management of the border between the two countries.

c. The system of border markers at that time was built in the period when the two countries were in difficulties with an underdeveloped economy and limited techniques, it was yet to meet all the requirements of the a modern marker system to guarantee the long stability.

The density of markers was so thin with an average of 10km for one marker (particularly in some places, it was 40km for one marker). So, the border line in the field in some places was not so clear, making it unclear for the management force and people on either side of the border.

On the other hand, the markers were designed unsuitable to the topographical and climatic conditions in the border areas, while the size of the markers was small with not high quality, resulting in having downgraded and damaged markers. Up to now, almost all the markers have been consolidated with their foundations, in which many markers have been repaired time and again, costing a lot without being yet to guarantee stability. In recent years, the two sides have opened and upgraded many border gates with the new, modern constructions, many residential areas near the border have vigorously developed, so the old system of markers is no longer suitable with no clear manifestation of the border line in the field, particularly in the border gates where there are a lot of people traveling, causing difficulties to the border management.

Stemming from the above-said fact, to serve the co-ordination in managing the border in a stable and long manner, making a contribution to strengthening the Vietnam-Laos relationship, from May 2008, Vietnam and Laos have officially deployed the Master Plan to thicken the markers and repair the Vietnam-Laos national border markers system in order to perfect the border markers system between the two countries in the direction of accuracy, modernity, sustainability and uniformity in the whole border line. The total number of markers that need being thickened and repaired is 792 markers with 16 great markers, 190 medium markers and 586 small markers. This was started in 2008 with priority being given to planting the markers in the border gate areas and the favourable communications areas to intensify economic co-operation and exchange and stabilize social order and safety in the border areas.

On January 18, 2008, Vietnam and Laos together with Cambodia planted the marker at the border crossroad and on August 26, 2008 in Hanoi, a ceremony was held to sign the Treaty on Determination of the Intersection point in the border areas of the three countries. On September 05, 2008, at the Lao Bảo-Densavan border gate, the two sides had ceremoniously inaugurated the marker duo 605. This is the first, official marker to launch the work to thicken markers and repair the border markers between the two countries. As of February 2011, the two sides had determined 462 marker positions and built 333 markers. The two sides will complete the marker planting in the field in 2012 and complete the Protocol and maps recording the results by 2014.