Close cooperation on border work between the delegations of Quang Tri (Vietnam) and Savannakhet (Laos) provinces

The border between the two provinces of Quang Tri and Savannakhet is 108.476 km long with a total of 31 locations/35 landmarks; a total of 19 locations/31 landmarks; there is a pair of international border gates Lao Bao - Densavan and 3 pairs of secondary border gates including Ta Rung - La Co, Cheng - Ban May, Thanh - Devilay.

At the 2023 border talks between the delegations of Quang Tri (Vietnam) and Savannakhet (Laos), held recently in Dong Ha City, the delegations of the two provinces informed each other of some information about the political , economic and social situation in 2023; assessed the results of the implementation of the 2022 annual meeting minutes between Quang Tri and Savannakhet provinces; and the cooperation plan for 2024.

Permanent Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee Ha Sy Dong said that, implementing the cooperation agreement for the period of 2023 - 2025 between the two provinces, in the past time, Quang Tri border posts have coordinated with functional forces of Savannakhet province to organize 20/480 bilateral patrols; ensuring the border and landmarks remain intact, promptly detecting and handling violations of border regulations, effectively preventing smuggling and illegal exploitation of forest and land products.

The special working group of the two provinces continued to coordinate closely and do a good job of collecting martyrs' graves. In the dry season of 2021 - 2022, the remains of 9 martyrs, who were Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died during the war in Laos, were collected and brought back to the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Road 9 for burial.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Internet.

The special working group of the two provinces continued to coordinate closely and do a good job of collecting martyrs' graves. In the dry season of 2021 - 2022, the remains of 9 martyrs, who were Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died during the war in Laos, were collected and brought back to the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Road 9 for burial.

From January 1 to December 15, 2023, the number of vehicles entering and exiting through the Lao Bao - Densavan International Border Gate pair will reach more than 206,000 (an increase of more than 13% compared to 2022); passengers entering and exiting the country will reach nearly 514,000 (an increase of more than 17%); import and export turnover will reach more than 433 million USD...

On October 14, 2023, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 1201/QD-TTg approving the planning of border gates on the Vietnam - Laos land border for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. In which, it agreed to upgrade the Ta Rung - La Co sub-border gate pair to the main border gate.

Quang Tri – Savannakhet signed a meeting minutes with cooperation contents in 2024. Photo: Internet.

Based on the achieved results, the two provinces of Quang Tri - Savannakhet signed the minutes of the talks with the contents of cooperation in 2024. The two sides continued to effectively carry out propaganda work, mobilizing people to comply with legal documents on the border between Vietnam and Laos signed by the two governments in 2016; coordinate to effectively implement the contents related to the two provinces of Quang Tri - Savannakhet which were included in the minutes of the 33rd annual meeting between the border delegations of Vietnam and Laos signed on December 27, 2023.

Agree to coordinate the implementation of construction and supervision of the project to repair the border marker yard and embankment to prevent landslides at national border markers 606 and 607 and to repair and restore border marker 585 that was swept away by floods after being approved and funded by competent authorities; coordinate to organize bilateral surveys to assess the situation, current status and propose embankment plans to prevent landslides on the Se Pon border riverbank on the Vietnamese side from markers 606 to 607.

The Lao Government has issued a document agreeing to the policy of temporarily opening the Xa Dun – A Roong passage. Quang Tri Province continues to complete the dossier to submit to the Vietnamese Government to open the A Roong – Xa Dun passage for goods clearance at the Lao Bao – Densavan international border gate.

The two sides also agreed to direct relevant departments and branches to coordinate in organizing the Workshop "Lao Bao - Densavan Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone" at the end of February./.

Kim Oanh