Third Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange officially opens

The Vietnamese delegation travels from Thanh Thuy Border Gate in Vietnam to Nam On Border Gate in Laos.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Laos General Khamliang Outhakaysone presided over a welcome ceremony for Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese delegation, arriving in Bolykhamxay province to participate in the exchange activities.

At the border gate, the two top officials took part in ceremonial activities, including saluting and painting the border marker, planting a friendship tree, and posing for commemorative photographs.

Following its successful editions in 2021 and 2024, the Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange has become a spotlight of defense cooperation between the two countries. Combining profound political significance with practical value, the program has strengthened substantive cooperation among border protection forces, local authorities, and people living in the border areas of both nations, while further reinforcing the Vietnam - Laos special solidarity. Its impact extends beyond the activities of each exchange program, as reflected in the day-to-day coordination and concrete cooperation between the two countries' border protection forces along their shared border.

A view of the welcome ceremony

The two defense leader saluting the border marker

This year's exchange carries added significance as it coincides with the 49th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam - Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 - 2026).

Translated by Tran Hoai