The courtesy calls were within the framework of the Vietnamese defense minister’s official visit to Laos from September 13-19 at the invitation of General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Laos.
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Laos' General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith (right) and Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang |
At the meeting, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith welcomed General Phan Van Giang on his first official visit to Laos as the Vietnamese defense minister. The host highly appreciated the visit, stressing that it will help promote the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, and peoples.
The Lao Party chief and State leader highly appreciated the choice of Laos as General Giang’s first overseas visit as the Vietnamese defense minister, saying that it confirmed the special affection and close bond between the two nations and two militaries.
For his part, General Giang thanked the host for the reception and conveyed Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s regards to the host and other Laos’ senior leaders.
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Laos' General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, General Phan Van Giang, and other delegates in a joint photo |
The Vietnamese defense chief expressed his delight at witnessing a number of political and diplomatic activities at all levels in the framework of the Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, especially the 60th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations and 45 years of the signing of the Vietnam - Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Hanoi and Vientiane in July 2022 with two countries’ Party general secretaries as the co-chairs.
General Giang informed that the defense ministries of the two countries have jointly built and carried out the celebration plan with nearly 30 practical and meaningful activities. Recently, the two sides have held exchanges between border protection forces of the two countries, an exhibition on the solidarity and side-by-side combat between Vietnam and Laos.
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Lao PM Phankham Viphavanh (right) and General Phan Van Giang |
The Vietnamese defense minister confirmed that the Party, State, military and people of Vietnam always bear in mind the great, precious, wholehearted and effective support of the Lao counterparts during the national salvation cause in the past and in the current Fatherland construction and protection. He stressed that in any circumstances, Vietnam always treasures and exerts efforts to maintain and bring into play its special faithful relationship with Laos, which is directly related to the existence of each country’s political system.
On this occasion, the guest thanked the Lao Party, Government, people and Defense Ministry for their support and creation of favorable conditions for the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer troops and advisers who laid down their lives in the war in Laos.
He hoped that the Party, Government, National Assembly of Laos and the General Secretary, President and Prime Minister of Laos themselves will continue to provide mechanism and policy support for Vietnamese enterprises, including military ones, to operate in Laos in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, digital transformation, and construction, among others.
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A joint photo of Lao PM Phankham Viphavanh, General Phan Van Giang, and other delegates |
During General Giang’s courtesy call on Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, the host highly appreciated the guest’s first official visit to Laos and emphasized that the visit will contribute to enhancing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, and peoples.
General Giang conveyed Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s regards to the guest and other senior leaders of Laos.
He also informed the host of the outcomes of his talks with his Lao counterpart General Chansamone Chanyalath, during which the two sides agreed to continue directing the two militaries to boost their comprehensive and substantive cooperation to meet the Fatherland protection requirements and to assist each other in personnel development to serve national construction and development and military building cause.
Reported by Ngoc Hung
Translated by Mai Huong