Vietnam-Laos defense cooperation is an important pillar of bilateral relations.

On December 18 in Hanoi, General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, chaired the welcoming ceremony for Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Minister of National Defense of Laos, to pay an official visit to Vietnam and attend the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024.

After the official welcoming ceremony, the two Ministers held talks. Speaking at the talks, Minister Phan Van Giang congratulated Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone on being appointed by the Lao Party and State as Minister of National Defense. He believed that in his position, Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone would lead and direct the development of the Lao People's Army, promoting the increasingly strong cooperation between the armies of Vietnam and Laos.

Minister Phan Van Giang congratulated the Lao Ministry of National Defense on successfully organizing the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, and meetings between ASEAN and its partners, thereby making important contributions to the success of the 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship, continuing to strengthen ASEAN's solidarity and centrality, and enhancing Laos' position in the international arena.

General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone review the Honor Guard of the Vietnam People's Army. (Photo: mod.gov.vn)

Minister Phan Van Giang respectfully thanked the Lao Minister of National Defense for accepting the invitation to attend the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024, the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Vietnam People's Army and the 35th Anniversary of National Defense Day; sending defense enterprises to participate in displaying and introducing products at the exhibition, thereby contributing to strengthening solidarity and contributing to the overall success of the event.

Minister Phan Van Giang affirmed that the Vietnam-Laos defense cooperation has achieved great and substantial results in recent times, and is one of the important pillars of the Vietnam-Laos bilateral relationship. After 5 years of implementing the Cooperation Decree for the 2020-2024 period between the two countries' Defense Ministries, the two sides have achieved important results. Notably: higher political and strategic trust; the solidarity and close relationship between the two countries' armies has been increasingly consolidated; forms and mechanisms of cooperation have become more diverse and more widespread; security and order in the border areas of the two countries have been increasingly consolidated; cooperation in human resource training has been increasingly valued with an increase in both quality and quantity; cooperation in building defense potential and defense industry has become increasingly focused, key, and effective.

Minister Phan Van Giang also appreciated the two countries' Ministries of Defense for successfully organizing the second Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange event series in October 2024 in the common border area of ​​the two countries in Son La province (Vietnam) and Hua Phan (Laos). Thereby, creating a positive spillover effect on solidarity and mutual support between the two Parties, States, Armies, local authorities and people of Vietnam - Laos.

In the coming time, Minister Phan Van Giang suggested that the two sides focus on effectively and comprehensively implementing the Protocol on defense cooperation for the 2025-2029 period and the 2025 Cooperation Plan. In particular, fully and effectively deploy the following contents: exchanging delegations at all levels, cooperation mechanisms, especially the Defense Policy Dialogue mechanism; strengthening cooperation in party work and political work, focusing on propaganda and education about the history, significance and importance of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos; strengthening multilateral cooperation, maintaining the mechanism of the Annual Meeting between the three Defense Ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia; improving the quality of cooperation in training and human resource development; strengthening cooperation in border management and protection...

General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in building military and defense laws. (Photo: mod.gov.vn)

At the talks, Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone thanked General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for their warm welcome to the delegation; and sent congratulations on the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the 35th anniversary of the National Defense Day. Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone said that this was his first foreign visit as Lao Minister of National Defense, demonstrating the importance he attaches to relations with Vietnam.

At the end of the talks, the two Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in building military and defense laws.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/hop-tac-quoc-phong-viet-nam-lao-la-mot-tru-cot-quan-trong-cua-quan-he-hai-nuoc-208693.html