Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang led a Vietnam’s high-ranking military delegation to attend the event.
Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Chansamone Chanyalath chaired the ceremony.
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General Phan Van Giang speaks at the ceremony |
Speaking at the event, General Chansamone Chanyalath warmly welcomed General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegates while praising the achievements that the two countries have achieved over the past years.
He recalled the resounding history of the bilateral ties between the two countries, expressed his gratitude to Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong, who established the foundation for the great friendship and special solidarity between the two countries. He also paid a deep tribute to generations of troops and people of the two countries, who sacrificed their lives for the revolutionary cause.
General Chanyalath held that, the two defense ministries have signed a protocol to help each other through various activities such as delegation exchange at all levels. He stressed that under the requirements of the Laos People’s Army, Vietnam gave non-refundable aids in a variety of fields such as infrastructure building, village cluster development, training and experience sharing.
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General Chansamone Chanyalath addresses the event. |
In turn, General Phan Van Giang expressed his delight at visiting Laos and attending the ceremony.
On behalf of Vietnam’s Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense, General Giang sent his best greeting and congratulations to leaders and former leaders of the Lao Party, State, National Assembly, and Ministry of National Defense, as well as the heroic mothers, generals, officers, and soldiers of the Lao People’s Army.
The Vietnamese defense minister stressed that the geographical proximity and cultural similarity have connected the national destinies of the Vietnamese and Lao people. He affirmed that the two countries’ people and military have shared difficulties and supported each other materially and spiritually.
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An art performance at the ceremony |
The great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos established by President Ho Chi Minh, Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong, has been assiduously cultivated by generations of leaders and people of the two countries and become the shared invaluable assets of the two peoples and the “one of a kind” relation in the history of the world history, he added.
On the occasion, General Giang expressed his deep gratitude to the Lao Party, people, and military for supporting the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and advisers to their homeland.
He believed that under the sound leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Lao military and people will overcome all hardships and challenges, contributing to firmly protecting the nation’s peace and independence and fulfilling goals of the comprehensive renewal process following the resolutions of the 11th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the 9th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025).
Reported by Ngoc Hung from Vientiane
Translated by Trung Thanh