Fostering friendship and solidarity from border diplomacy work

Provincial Border Guards provide free medical examination and treatment and medicine to people in Can village, Phon Xay village cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos).

In 2024, the Thanh Hoa Border Guard compiled and published many newsletters and propaganda skits, and distributed thousands of leaflets to people in the border areas. Thereby, raising awareness among cadres, soldiers and people of all ethnic groups in the border areas about the foreign information work of the Party and State, especially issues of religion, ethnicity and human rights, and regulations on land border management between Vietnam and Laos.

The Provincial Border Guard Command closely combines border diplomacy with people's diplomacy to promote the combined strength to firmly protect border sovereignty. Accordingly, the Provincial Border Guard proactively advises the authorities of border districts and communes on many policies, measures, programs and projects to promote socio-economic development and strengthen national defense and security. Thanks to that, many models and programs for economic development, helping people to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, and stabilize their lives have been implemented effectively by border localities.

To strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the border protection forces and the people in the border areas, the provincial Border Guard has advised local authorities on both sides of the border to organize twinning of 17 pairs of opposite villages; twinning of 6 Border Guard Stations of Thanh Hoa province with 3 Border Guard Companies of Hua Phan province. Officers and soldiers of the border guard stations also actively coordinate with the border protection forces of Laos to participate in consolidating political bases in the village clusters; promoting the role of military doctors of the stations, stations and local medical facilities to examine, treat and provide medicine for officers and people in the border areas; building friendship houses, classrooms and cultural houses for people and villages of Laos. The border guard stations also sponsor Lao students with difficult circumstances to go to school.

Pu Nhi Border Guard Station coordinated bilateral patrols with Border Guard Company 215 (Laos) at border markers 306-307.

In 2024, the Provincial Border Guard Command met and held talks with the Military Command and the Security Command of Hua Phan province 6 times. The border posts on the Vietnam - Laos border line held talks and meetings on the border with the border protection forces of the neighboring country 32 times; coordinated bilateral patrols 56 times/1,467 participants; coordinated with the neighboring border protection forces to organize propaganda on the Agreement on border regulations, effectively combat and prevent violations of border regulations, and thoroughly resolve incidents related to both sides of the border in accordance with international law and practice.

Colonel Hoang Van Hung, Political Commissar of Thanh Hoa Border Guard, said: "In the coming time, to effectively implement foreign affairs work in the border area, the Provincial Border Guard Command will continue to coordinate with departments, branches, sectors, and local authorities to promote foreign information work. Continuously improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots party organizations, promote the role of cadres and party members in foreign information work. Strengthen the exchange of information between the border protection forces of Thanh Hoa and Hua Phan provinces. At the same time, closely coordinate in the propaganda work of the two States' policies as well as the work of border management and protection. Thereby, helping ethnic minorities understand more deeply their roles and responsibilities in performing the task of protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security".

With the motto of “Good neighbors, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability”, the border foreign affairs activities of the Border Guard force of Thanh Hoa province have been making an important contribution to building a peaceful, stable and developed border in accordance with the Party's foreign policy and viewpoints; practically protecting the peaceful life of ethnic minorities in border areas.

Article and photos: Hoang Lan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/vun-dap-tinh-huu-nghi-doan-ket-tu-cong-toc-doi-ngoai-bien-phong-245162.htm