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Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Defense Minister of Vietnam General Nguyen Tan Cuong and his Lao counterpart review the guards-of-honor. |
The welcome ceremony was chaired by his Lao counterpart Senior Lieutenant General Saichay Kommasith.
After the welcome ceremony, the two sides held talks.
Speaking at the talks, Sr. Lt. Gen. Saichay Kommasith warmly welcomed General Nguyen Tan Cuong and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnam People's Army on their official visit to Laos. He affirmed that the visit was of great significance, contributing to the continued strengthening of the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic bond between the two Parties, the two States, the peoples, and two militaries.
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General Nguyen Tan Cuong and Sr. Lt. Gen. Saichay Kommasith |
At the event, General Nguyen Tan Cuong sincerely thanked the Lao People's Army and Sr. Lt. Gen. Saichay Kommasith personally for the respectful, thoughtful, and brotherly reception extended to the delegation from the moment they arrived in Laos.
The Vietnamese defense leader expressed confidence that through this visit, the close ties between the two militaries would continue to be nurtured and consolidated, worthy of serving as an important pillar of the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic bond between the two Parties, the two States, and the peoples of Vietnam and Laos.
On this occasion, General Nguyen Tan Cuong extended traditional New Year (known as Bunpimay) greetings to the Lao people of all ethnic groups and wished the Lao Chief of the General Staff, members of the high-ranking military delegation, and their families good health, happiness, and success.
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The two delegations at the talks |
During the talks, General Nguyen Tan Cuong and his Lao counterpart agreed that in recent years, Vietnam - Laos military and defense cooperation has become increasingly comprehensive and substantive, continuing to serve as one of the key pillars of bilateral relations.
Notable areas of cooperation include exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially high-level visits; maintenance of cooperation mechanisms; and collaboration between border-adjacent military regions and border guard forces of both sides in ensuring security, order, and social safety in border areas. Human resource training cooperation has continued to receive special attention from both sides in terms of both quantity and quality, while logistics and defense industry cooperation has also been strengthened.
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Heads of the two delegations at the talks |
In 2025, cooperation among the militaries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia was actively promoted by both sides. Successful activities included the annual meeting of the defense ministers of the three countries and a joint rescue and disaster relief exercise held in Laos. These activities further strengthened solidarity among the three nations.
General Nguyen Tan Cuong proposed that in the coming period, the two sides continue to deepen cooperation, focusing on enhancing exchanges on strategic issues through high-level meetings and defense policy dialogue mechanisms. Military regions, services, and border protection forces of both countries should continue to strengthen information sharing, coordinate bilateral patrols to safeguard borders and border markers, and stand ready to effectively respond together to natural disasters, epidemics, and other non-traditional security challenges.
He also emphasized the importance of continued cooperation in human resource training, describing it as a matter of long-term strategic significance and a core factor in reinforcing the special relationship between the two countries and militaries. He called for stronger cooperation in defense industry development and continued coordination and mutual support at multilateral military and defense forums, especially within ASEAN and at international events hosted by either side.
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Members of the two delegations in a joint photo |
At the talks, the Vietnamese defense leader announced that in 2026, Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense will host the annual meeting of the defense ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, as well as witness a joint exercise among the three militaries in Hanoi on responding to non-traditional security challenges. He expressed hope that both sides, together with Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense, would closely coordinate to ensure the success of these events.
He respectfully invited Sr. Lt. Gen. Saichay Kommasith and leaders of the Lao Ministry of Defense, General Staff, and General Department of Political Affairs to attend the 3rd Vietnam Defense Expo, slated for December 2026 in Hanoi, and to send Lao defense enterprises to showcase their products at the event.
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The Vietnamese delegation paying tribute to fallen soldiers |
Earlier, as part of the visit, General Nguyen Tan Cuong and the delegation of the Vietnam People's Army offered incense and laid wreaths at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs in Vientiane.
By Ngoc Han (from Vientiane, Laos)
Translated by Tran Hoai