First time organizing Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange

On December 1, in Hanoi, Major General Le Xuan Sang, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department, General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army chaired a press conference to inform about the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange.

This is the first time that the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have organized a defense friendship exchange in the common border area ( Kon Tum - Vietnam; Attapeu - Laos and Ratanakiri - Cambodia).

Also attending were Major General Van Ngoc Que, Deputy Chief of Political Affairs of the Border Guard; Colonel Nguyen Duy Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs ( Ministry of National Defense ); Colonel Le Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Department of Military Medicine/General Department of Logistics.

Speaking at the press conference, Major General Le Xuan Sang hoped that press agencies would coordinate to widely disseminate the purpose, significance, and main activities of the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange program.

Major General Le Xuan Sang speaks at the press conference. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

Colonel Nguyen Duy Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said that the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange is an activity to implement the 2023 Cooperation Plan between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, the Lao Ministry of National Defense, and the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense. The exchange is of special significance, as it is the first time the Defense Ministries of the three countries have organized an exchange in the border area.

The success of the exchange will contribute to strengthening political trust, building friendship and solidarity between Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia; promoting substantive cooperation between the border protection forces of the three countries. At the same time, through exchange activities, it will contribute to promoting economic development and people-to-people exchanges in the border areas; conveying the message of solidarity, friendship and mutual support between the Governments, armies and peoples of the three countries, thereby contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative and developing Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border.

Colonel Nguyen Duy Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, provided detailed information about the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

The first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border defense friendship exchange is scheduled to take place in mid-December 2023. The official Vietnamese delegation is led by General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam. The official Lao delegation is led by General Chansamone Chanyalath, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Laos. The official Cambodian delegation is led by General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Cambodia.

The main activities within the framework of this exchange program include: The three Defense Ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia salute and paint the sovereignty markers; the border protection forces of the three countries coordinate to patrol and inspect the border junction markers; the Defense Ministers of the three countries plant friendship trees at the border junction area; joint military medical exercises between the three countries' armies; the inauguration ceremony of the Cultural House of Ta Ka village, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province; the Defense Ministers of the three countries visit and present gifts at Be Van Dan Primary School, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province; the annual meeting between the three Defense Ministers, signing the minutes of the annual meeting between the three Defense Ministries; the signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

Before the Exchange, there will be a number of sideline activities: General Phan Van Giang is expected to work with the Standing Committee of Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee; provide free medical examination and medicine to people; present 200 "Step Up to School" scholarships to students and 40 breeding cows to disadvantaged households in the border areas of the three countries.

Major General Van Ngoc Que, Deputy Chief of Political Department of the Border Guard, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

Also at the press conference, Major General Van Ngoc Que, Deputy Chief of Political Affairs of the Border Guard, informed about the results of border and border diplomacy activities with Laos and Cambodia in 2023 and recent years; the preparations of the Border Guard Command for the exchange program. Colonel Le Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Military Medical Department, informed about the joint military medical exercise between the armies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia within the framework of the exchange program.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lan-dau-to-chuc-giao-luu-huu-nghi-quoc-phong-bien-gioi-viet-nam-lao-campuchia-252161.html