Vietnam and Laos to hold second border defense friendship exchange next week

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, and General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Laos, will lead the two delegations to the exchange.

In Vietnam, the two ministers will attend a welcoming ceremony, participate in a tree planting, and observe a joint exercise for coordinated cross-border crime prevention. They will visit the Long Sap Border Guard Station, inaugurate the classroom building project at Long Sap Primary and Secondary School, hold talks, and sign cooperation documents, among other activities.

In Laos, the two ministers will paint the border landmark 255, witness a joint patrol, participate in a tree planting, visit and donate gifts to Pa Hang Primary and Secondary School, and attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the 214th Border Guard Company barracks.

Ahead of the exchange, there will be a cultural performance for the people in the border areas of both countries. The military medical forces of both sides will provide free health check-ups and medicine for over 2,000 residents in the Vietnam-Laos border region.

Colonel Tong Van Thanh, deputy head of the Propaganda and Training Department of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, stated that the exchange contributes to promoting the special friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. It also commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the 35th anniversary of the All-People National Defense Day, while strengthening cooperation between the border guard forces of the two countries, local governments, and communities in border areas.

Colonel Viengxay Soulivong, Defense Attaché of Laos in Vietnam, emphasized that the exchange provides an opportunity for the people of both countries to recognize the role and importance of defense work and the contributions of the military to ensuring stability and development along the border.