Lao Defense Attaché to Vietnam Colonel Viengxay Soulivong showed his confidence during an interview granted to the People’s Army Newspaper prior to the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange, which is slated for October 22 and 23 in Moc Chau district of Vietnam’s Son La province and Sop Bao district of Laos’ Houaphanh province.
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Col. Viengxay Soulivong speaking at the press briefing introducing the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange |
The Lao diplomat affirmed that the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange holds great significance. It is to contribute to consolidating and developing the whole people's defense and security posture in border areas, protecting each nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The event is an opportunity for both countries to promote bilateral defense cooperation, further deepen their close-knit relationship, especially among the border communities, while enhancing the responsibilities of border guard forces of the two countries and their coordination in protecting the borderline and landmarks, combating crime, helping people eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, and building a borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation, and joint development.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien handing over a souvenir to Col. Viengxay Soulivong at their meeting at the Headquarters of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense on July 2, 2024 |
Thoroughly grasping the significance of the exchange, over the past time, relevant agencies inside and outside the military and localities of the two countries have closely worked together to prepare for the event in a synchronized manner. Recently, the leadership of the two defense ministries and related agencies of both countries conducted direct inspections and reviews of the preparations for the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange, which is one of the top priority bilateral defense diplomatic activities of the two countries in 2024.
The Lao Defense Attaché said that he was deeply impressed by Vietnam's utmost efforts to ensure that the exchange program takes place in an atmosphere of friendship, solidarity, respect, and safety, with appropriate scale and form.
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Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien and Lao Defense Attaché Viengxay Soulivong at a meeting on July 2, 2024 |
Laos and Vietnam are neighboring countries with shared mountains and rivers. Sharing a 2,000km borderline, the two countries boast their traditional friendship history and close-knit solidarity. The two peoples have stood side by side and helped each other overcome difficult times. Within the overall good relationship between the two countries, defense cooperation remains a solid pillar that is continuously strengthened and developed, making a practical contribution to fostering the close-knit, loyal, and exemplary relationship between Vietnam and Laos.
According to Col. Viengxay Soulivong, the two sides have attached much importance to strengthening the bilateral defense ties, contributing to the cultivation of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. In recent years, under the leadership of both parties, the bilateral defense cooperation has been continually strengthened and developed, becoming one of the important pillars in the relationship between the two countries, positively contributing to the Fatherland construction and defense in each country for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Based on the protocols and annual cooperation plans, Vietnam-Laos defense cooperation has developed in a substantive and practical manner and obtained outstanding results in various fields, including high-level delegation exchanges; training and education; party and political work; border management and protection; search, collection, and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who sacrificed their lives while conducting international service in Laos; close coordination and mutual support at multilateral military and defense forums.
Since the global and regional situation is forecast to rapidly, complexly, and unexpectedly develop, the Lao Defense Attaché said that to elevate the Vietnam-Laos defense cooperation to a new level, the two sides should focus on effectively implementing the contents agreed upon in the protocols and annual cooperation plans, focusing on some particular fields. Firstly, Vietnam and Laos should continue to enhance cooperation in party and political work. Both sides should foster coordination in dissemination and education about the great traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, militaries, and peoples; searching for, collecting, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who laid down their lives in Laos.
In addition, Col. Viengxay Soulivong emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in border management and protection, which has been a highlight of bilateral defense cooperation in recent years. The border guard forces of the two sides should continue to effectively work together to implement documents related to border management and protection; boost information exchange; hold bilateral patrols to protect the borderline and landmarks, manage activities in border areas, combat cross-border crime; and collaborate to effectively prevent diseases. Both sides should also collaborate to promptly discover and address complex issues, contributing to building a borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development. Furthermore, they should continue to effectively cooperate in training to build high-quality human resources, which is considered a long-term strategic issue.
Translated by Tran Hoai