The Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange is one of the key defense diplomacy events of the Vietnam People's Army in 2024, taking place from October 22-23 in Son La province (Vietnam) and Houaphanh province (Laos). General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, led the Vietnamese delegation; General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Laos, led the Lao delegation to attend the exchange. In Vietnam, the two Ministers will attend the welcoming ceremony, plant a friendship tree; visit the joint exercise to coordinate cross-border crime capture; visit the Long Sap Border Guard Station; inaugurate the Long Sap Primary - Secondary School Classroom Complex; hold talks and sign cooperation documents...

General Phan Van Giang and General Chansamone Chanyalath during their visit to Vietnam in late 2022. Photo: Pham Hai

In Laos, the two Ministers will salute and paint the border marker 255 (both sides of the border marker on the Lao and Vietnamese sides); witness a joint patrol and friendship tree planting; visit and present gifts to Pa Hang Primary and Secondary School; and attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Border Guard Company 214. The meeting between the Vietnamese and Lao Ministers of National Defense at the border is an important event in promoting defense cooperation between the two countries. This meeting is usually aimed at discussing and enhancing cooperation in the fields of defense, security, and border management. The two sides update and exchange information on the regional security situation, challenges and risks in border management and national security. The two sides discuss specific measures to enhance military cooperation, including joint exercises, student exchanges, and information on security strategies. The two sides also discussed measures to improve the effectiveness of border management, including the control of goods and people moving across the border. The two sides shared experiences in participating in international peacekeeping activities and supported each other in international missions. The two sides put forward a specific cooperation plan for the next phase, aiming to ensure the sustainable development of the defense relationship between the two countries. The meeting between the Vietnamese and Lao Defense Ministers not only demonstrated the two countries' commitment to maintaining regional security and peace, but also strengthened the friendship and long-term cooperation between the two armies./.

Thanh Tung