The visit of Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong, who is also Deputy Defense Minister of Laos, takes place in the context that the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries have been continuously expanded.
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General Luong Cuong (right) welcomes Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong. |
After the welcome ceremony, the two sides held talks, during which General Cuong highly appreciated the significance of the Vietnam visit of Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong and the Lao delegation. He emphasized that the visit would contribute to consolidating the solidarity between the two defense ministries and two militaries, thus strengthening the bilateral relations in a more intensive, practical, and effective manner.
The Chief of Vietnamese GDP said that Vietnam and Laos are two neighboring countries with time-honored relationship. The two sides have given great, valuable, wholehearted, sincere, impartial, and effective support to each other’s struggle for independence in the past as well as current renewal, construction, and development cause.
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General Luong Cuong and Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong reviewing the guards-of-honor |
He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people always treasure the relationship with Laos, considering it a top priority in the country’s foreign policy. Vietnam always wishes to work with Laos to constantly strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, militaries, and peoples.
For his part, Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong thanked the host for the warm welcome and emphasized that the special solidarity between Laos and Vietnam is an invaluable common asset of the two nations, in which the relationship between the two militaries is the most special.
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Heads of the two delegations at the talks |
At the talks, the two sides evaluated that the bilateral defense cooperation has continued to affirm its role as one of the important pillars of Vietnam - Laos relations. The two defense ministries and two militaries have actively and pro-actively coordinated and effectively made recommendations on military and defense work to senior leaders of the two countries, contributing to maintaining peaceful environment for their development; comprehensively and practically implemented the protocol on defense cooperation and the annual cooperation plan, especially in the fields of delegation exchange, training, health examination and treatment, and experience sharing. Notably, the two defense ministries organized around 30 big activities to mark the “Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022."
The cooperation between the two GDPs has been paid special attention to and importantly contributed to the continuous development of the relationship between the two countries and two militaries. The two sides have also focused on disseminating the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, and militaries; fostering cooperation in human resource training; setting up twinning relations among residential clusters in border areas; searching, collecting, and repatriating remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who laid down their lives in Laos while carrying out international duties.
Regarding orientation for cooperation missions in the coming time, the two sides agreed that the bilateral defense relations in general and cooperation between the two GDPs should be jointly implemented in accordance with the common perception of senior leaders of the two parties and states and the results of the Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos Summit (September 6, 2023).
In particular, the two sides will continue to closely coordinate to effectively disseminate information about the history, meaning, and importance of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, militaries, and peoples, especially on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the VPA’s foundation day, the 75th anniversary of LPA’s foundation day, and the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Phu Victory in 2024. In the short-term, the two sides should foster dissemination of the significance of the upcoming first ministerial-level Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange.
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General Luong Cuong and Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong at the talks |
The two sides will enhance cooperation between agencies and units through delegation exchange activities; promote the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms and models such as young officers and military women exchanges, military - civilian twinning, annual conferences between military regions, services, and border guard forces of the two countries; share practical experience in organizing party and political work.
They agreed to attach importance to cooperation in training and human resource development; coordinate to search, collect, and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who laid down their lives in Laos while carrying out international duties. The two sides will strengthen coordination and support each other at multilateral forums and mechanisms, especially those led by ASEAN. Within its capabilities, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and VPA are ready to share experience and support the Lao Ministry of Defense and the LPA to successfully fulfill the role as the Chair of ASEAN military and defense conferences in 2024.
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The two delegations in a joint photo |
At the talks, the two sides also discussed international and regional situations and issues of mutual concern. General Cuong emphasized that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently pursue the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations and the “four no's” defense policy (no partaking in military alliances, no siding with one country to act against another, no foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory or using Vietnam as leverage to counteract other countries, and no using force or threatening to use force in international relations).
Translated by Tran Hoai