Public Security Minister hails security cooperation with Laos

Talks were held in Hanoi on January 9 between a high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam led by Minister To Lam and their Lao counterparts headed by Senior Lieutenant General and Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamphong.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on conspiracies, operational methods and tricks of both nations' crimes related to security and order. In particular, last year, the police forces coordinated to arrest and hand over to the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam a number of people with wanted warrants, and verified many cases linked to national security.

Minister Vilay Lakhamphong applauded the outcomes of cooperation between the two ministries over the past year, especially in the fight against drug and transnational crimes.

He said he hopes that in the coming time, the cooperation between the two ministries will continue to be promoted to new heights, contributing to stability, security, social order and safety between the two countries as well as fostering the development of traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.

The two ministers also compared notes a number of key cooperation directions between the two ministries, with a particular focus on continuing to maintain meetings at all levels in both in-person and online formats, coordinating to handle arising cases quickly and promptly, not allowing hostile forces, and crimes to conduct activities that are detrimental to the two countries' security and order, and strictly implementing the contents of the 2022 cooperation plan.

Both sides agreed to enhance the exchange of information of shared concern regarding the world and regional situation that affect security and order of Vietnam and Laos, consult and offer mutual support at international and regional forums in ensuring security, peace and stability in the region and the world as well as in the fight against crime. They also consented to boost closer coordination in the implementation of the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons.

The two sides will work closely on launching an array of activities to celebrate the Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Year of Friendship and Solidarity 2022, the 60th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties and 45 years of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

They concurred to go ahead with closer coordination in the fight against COVID-19, especially in preventing the spread and development of new strains.

The two ministries consented to carry out a project to build the Lao People's Public Security Academy after getting approval from the two Governments and continue to cooperate in implementing a  project on granting citizen identity cards and managing the national database on population.

At the end of the talks, Minister To Lam and his Lao counterpart Lakhamphong witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents between the two ministries.

Earlier Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Laos General Chansamone Chanyalath had a meeting with former Minister of National Defence of Vietnam General Ngo Xuan Lich in Hanoi on January 8 as part of Lao PM Phankham Viphavanh’s ongoing official visit to Vietnam.

During the the meeting, the Lao Defence Minister briefed his host on the outcomes of the Laos-Vietnam defence cooperation in the recent past and thanked the Vietnamese Party, Government and Defence Ministry for promptly supporting Laos in the COVID-19 fight.

General Lich applauded the efforts made by the Lao People's Armed Forces and General Chansamone Chanyalath in particular to step up defence cooperation.

He expressed his confidence that the solidarity between the two Parties, States, armed forces and peoples will continue yielding positive results and bilateral defence cooperation will be further strengthened in the time ahead.