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 Defence of Vietnam and General Chansamone Chanyalath - Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, Minister of National Defence of Laos co-chaired the meeting and signed a cooperation document between the Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of National Defence of the Lao PDR.
The program is within the framework of the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange.
At the meeting, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that 2024 witnessed many important events in the cooperative relationship between the two countries and the two armies.
During the 5 years of implementing the Protocol on defense cooperation for the 2020-2024 period, the two sides have achieved many important and substantive results, with many areas exceeding the set targets.
In particular, the solidarity and close relationship between the two countries' armies is increasingly consolidated, the cooperation mechanism is increasingly diverse and widespread, and security and order in the border areas of the two countries are increasingly consolidated.
In particular, cooperation in human resource training is increasingly valued.
General Chansamone Chanyalath also thanked General Phan Van Giang and the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam for welcoming the delegation warmly and respectfully, and highly appreciated the preparation work for the Exchange.
The leader of the Lao PDR also affirmed that this Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange continues to affirm itself as an effective and unique model of cooperation between the two countries.
The second Vietnam-Laos border defense friendship exchange is an important defense foreign activity in 2024 of the two countries' Ministries of National Defense, organized based on the guiding viewpoints of the two Parties and two States on building a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative and mutually developed Vietnam-Laos border.
Also within the framework of the program, the delegations of the two countries visited the Long Sap Border Guard Station and attended a joint exercise to capture cross-border criminals.
Vietnam and Laos share a border of more than 2,300km, bordering 10 provinces of our country (Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Kon Tum) with 10 provinces of Laos (Phongsaly, Luang Prabang, Houaphanh, Borikhamxay, Khammouane, Savannakhet, Saravane, Xiengkhuang, Sekong and Attapeu).
Over the past years, under the leadership of the two Parties, the two States and people have joined hands to build a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative and mutually developing Vietnam-Laos border.
On October 23, the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange will continue with activities held in Sop Bao district, Houaphanh province, Lao PDR.