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General Phan Van Giang, General Chansamone Chanyalath, and delegates posing for a joint photo at the monument

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Laos General Chansamone Chanyalath and leaders of Xiangkhouang province attended the event.

At the event, the delegation observed one minute of silence in remembrance of contribution of heroic martyrs of the two countries to the struggle to drive away foreign invaders to protect Laos’ revolutionary achievements.

The Laos - Vietnam Combat Alliance Monument was built to commemorate the Lao and Vietnamese fallen soldiers who heroically sacrificed themselves in the resistance war against the U.S. imperialists. The monument on a hill depicting the image of two Lao and Vietnamese soldiers standing side by side is a noble symbol of the relationship between the two countries. 

After the incense offering ceremony, General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation visited the Plain of Jars in Xiangkhouang province. During the visit, the Vietnamese defense minister proudly introduced to other members of the delegation to the historical period when the volunteer soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army, including officers and soldiers of Division 312, where he once held the position of commanding officer, stood shoulder to shoulder and fought side by side with the Pathet Lao army.

The Plain of Jars is not only the third world cultural heritage of Laos recognized by UNESCO, but also a place marking the heroic feats of the Laos - Vietnam combat alliance and solidarity.

Fifty years ago, the Laos - Vietnam combat alliance won the defensive campaign in the Plain of Jars, defeating the U.S.’s "Intensified Special War" in Laos. From May 21 to November 15, 1972, the Laos - Vietnam combat alliance conducted 244 battles, eliminating 5,759 enemy troops, shooting down 38 aircraft, and seizing many weapons and equipment. The victory of the campaign contributed to firmly defending the liberated area that was of strategic significance to the Lao revolution.

Translated by Tran Hoai