In a conversation with a reporter from the People's Army Newspaper, Senior Colonel Le Van Dong, Deputy Chief of the Department of Military Medicine under the General Department of Logistics, said that "within the framework of the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange, the Department of Military Medicine has been assigned three main tasks: Ensuring medical support for the event, collaborating with the Lao and Cambodian military medical forces to conduct medical examinations and provide free medicines to the border residents of the three countries, and organizing a joint military medical exercise of the three militaries. These tasks require comprehensive preparation in all aspects. Therefore, the Department of Military Medicine has closely coordinated with relevant agencies and units, including the Department of Military Medicine of the Lao People's Army and the military medical force of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, starting preparations as early as May. By December 13, all preparation work had been completed, and we had been ready in all aspects for a successful exchange program."
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Kon Tum ready for the big event |
This program will encompass numerous activities, commencing with a series of events at the tri-border marker of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia. As the exchange approaches, there is an air of excitement, particularly among the residents of Po Y commune in Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province.
Po Y commune is located to the west of Ngoc Hoi district and is renowned for its landmark, the "Indochina junction," the place where Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are adjacent. This place symbolizes the spirit of unity, peace, and friendship among the three nations.
Hence, Po Y has been chosen as one of the locations for the opening ceremony of the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange. Chang A Lang, a local resident, expressed the community's joy and enthusiasm at the selection of Po Y as the venue for this event. He also expressed hope that through these exchanges, economic development and people-to-people exchange in the border region of the three countries would contribute to the overall development of Po Y commune and, more broadly, Kon Tum province.
This marks the first time the defense ministries of the three countries have organized an exchange in their shared border area. As a result, special emphasis has been placed on communications efforts. A day before the event, over 100 journalists from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia arrived in Kon Tum province.
Being accommodated in the same hotel, journalists from the People's Army Newspaper had the opportunity to exchange with their counterparts from Laos and Cambodia. They all praised Vietnam's preparations and expressed fondness for their neighboring country.
Colonel Rath Darith, Head of the Television Division in the Department of Information of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, shared that he had previously worked in Vietnam several times. However, this visit to Kon Tum for the inauguration of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange was particularly special for him.
"Scholars, media, and the Cambodian public are keenly interested in this program, giving highly positive reviews. I'm thrilled and delighted to witness the beautiful relationships cultivated across various fields by the leadership of our three countries. Those are the relationships inherited and further developed. The Cambodian people always understand the significance of such a meaningful event and hope that the traditional friendly relations and cooperation among our three nations will continue to deepen, contributing substantially to the development of each country, bringing practical benefits to our people," shared Colonel Rath Darith.
Chit Phetphouthong, a reporter from the Laos People's Army Newspaper, expressed admiration for the support received from Vietnamese colleagues. It is his second visit to Vietnam, and he has consistently experienced the friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.
He stated, "Before coming to Vietnam to cover this event, our delegation received thorough guidance from the Lao Ministry of National Defense, and I realized that the first Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange is one of the top defense relations activities of the three countries in 2023, representing a testament to the continuous cooperation and mutual support among our three nations."
The Lao reporter believed that this exchange program would be a solid foundation for strengthening friendship, unity, promoting substantial cooperation among border guard forces, local governments, and the people in border areas. It would convey a message of unity, friendship, mutual support among the governments, armed forces, and people of the three countries, contributing to the construction of peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative, and developed Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border areas.
Translated by Trung Thanh