Vietnam and Laos cooperate to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development

General Phan Van Giang expressed his joy at the increasingly good development of the Laos-Vietnam bilateral defense relationship, with higher political and strategic trust and increasingly consolidated solidarity.

The first Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia border defense friendship exchange

Second Vietnam - Laos border defense friendship exchange: strengthening solidarity and bilateral cooperation

Within the framework of the second Vietnam-Laos border defense friendship exchange, on the afternoon of October 22, in Moc Chau district (Son La province), General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, held talks with General Chansamone Chanyalath, Politburo member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Laos.

The talks were an opportunity for the two sides to evaluate the five-year journey of cooperation in implementing the Protocol on Defense Cooperation for the 2020-2024 period, and share a vision on defense relations for the 2025-2029 period and the coming years.

General, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang and General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Laos, and officers and commanders of Long Sap Border Guard Station. (Photo: Trong Duc/VNA)

Speaking at the talks, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that 2024 will witness many important events in the cooperative relationship between the two countries and the two armies, typically the high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; mutual visits by senior leaders of the two countries; activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People's Army, the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, and the upcoming 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army...

General Phan Van Giang expressed his delight at the increasingly positive development of the bilateral defense relationship between Laos and Vietnam. The areas in the Protocol on Defense Cooperation for the 2020-2024 period have been effectively implemented, with contents exceeding the set targets.

Accordingly, political and strategic trust is higher, and the solidarity and close relationship between the two countries' armies is increasingly consolidated.

The two sides closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums, mechanisms and international events organized by each side, especially during Vietnam's ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 and Laos' ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2024.

Cooperation forms and mechanisms are increasingly diverse and widespread. Many historic and first-time defense diplomacy events have been held, such as the first Vietnam-Laos border defense friendship exchange (2021), the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border defense friendship exchange (2023), etc.

The Deputy Ministerial-level Defense Policy Dialogue mechanism has played an important role in exchanging and sharing views on strategic issues, promptly orienting priorities and focuses of cooperation.

Cooperation in human resource training is highly valued. Cooperation in defense industry and defense economy is increasingly focused, important and effective...

Security and order in the border areas of the two countries have been increasingly consolidated. Border guards, border management and protection forces and military regions on both sides have coordinated to maintain the stability of the border and border markers; propagate and mobilize people to strictly comply with signed legal documents; effectively maintain the twinning activities of pairs of border posts, Border Guard companies and residential areas; significantly contribute to stabilizing the lives of local people, consolidating the security and political foundations, contributing to realizing the common vision of senior leaders on a peaceful, stable and sustainably developed Vietnam-Laos border.

Thanking General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for the warm and friendly reception for the Lao delegation, General Chansamone Chanyalath highly appreciated the preparations for the Exchange; at the same time, he affirmed that this Exchange continues to affirm itself as an effective and unique cooperation model between the two countries, an activity of profound political significance, demonstrating the political determination of the Party, State, Army, localities, especially the people and border protection forces of Vietnam and Laos in strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive cooperation, together building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, for the prosperity of each country, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Regarding the vision for the next period, the two Ministers agreed that in the coming time, defense cooperation between the two countries will focus on a number of contents, first of all, strengthening cooperation in party work and political work; focusing on consolidating and protecting the Party's ideological foundation, maintaining the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects over the army; focusing on building and consolidating political bases in localities, especially in hamlets and border areas; effectively propagating and educating about the history, significance and importance of the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.

Along with that, the two sides will better maintain existing cooperation mechanisms, such as annual high-level delegation exchanges, Deputy Ministerial-level Defense Policy Dialogues, and exchanges and contacts between agencies and units of the two sides; enhance effective cooperation in military and defense work, especially in responding to non-traditional security challenges; cooperate in managing and protecting borders and landmarks; cooperate in training human resources; improve the effectiveness of mutual support work, in which the Lao Government and Ministry of Defense continue to create favorable conditions for searching, excavating, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos during the war.

At the end of the talks, General Phan Van Giang and General Chansamone Chanyalath signed the Protocol on Defense Cooperation for the 2025-2029 period and the 2025 Cooperation Plan between the two countries' Defense Ministries.

According to Vietnamplus.vn

https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-lao-hop-tac-xay-dung-bien-gioi-hoa-binh-huu-nghi-hop-tac-phat-trien-post986802.vnp

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/viet-lao-hop-tac-xay-dung-bien-gioi-hoa-binh-huu-nghi-hop-tac-phat-trien-206378.html