At the reception, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien highly appreciated the intensive, practical, and effective defense cooperation between the two countries over the past time in different fields, especially cooperation between military regions, border defense forces, in party and political work, training, and COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.
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Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien (right) receives Lao Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Chanthaphone Khammanichanh. |
The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister affirmed that 2022 is an important year when the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties and 45 years since the two nations signed the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.
The host said that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense credited the celebration as an important occasion for the two sides to strengthen cooperation and further tighten the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, peoples, and militaries. The celebration will also help promote the public awareness of the relationship between the two countries in general and two militaries in particular. He announced that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense has built a plan to organize around 30 activities in celebration of the "Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022."
General Chien said that in the coming time the two sides should foster cooperation to effectively carry out the cooperation plan in 2022. He laid stress on the collaboration among military regions, services, and border guard forces in ensuring security and safety in border areas, combating crimes, preventing illegal border crossings, responding to natural disasters, diseases, and other non-traditional security challenges.
Apart from bilateral activities, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense attaches special attention to and wishes to promote multilateral activities between the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodia defense ministries, including meetings between defense ministers of the three countries and joint search and rescue drill of the three militaries. These multilateral activities will contribute to consolidating the relationship among three countries and three militaries, the Vietnamese deputy defense minister added.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien also took the occasion to extend best wishes to all staff of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam on the occasion of Laos’ traditional Bunpimay Festival.
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Delegates in a joint photo at the reception |
For his part, the Lao Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and military for the support over the past time and highlighted the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
The Lao diplomat also said that Laos has set up the National Steering Committee on the "Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022." The country’s defense ministry also formed a steering committee on the organization of celebration activities.
Translated by Tran Hoai