Vietnam offers support to Laos in peacekeeping capacity building
VOV.VN - Vietnam is ready to assist Laos in enhancing its capacity to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien affirmed this during meetings in Vientiane on January 9 with Laos’s Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Khamlieng Outhakaysone and Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vongkham Phommakone as he accompanied Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the 47th Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.
At the meetings, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and armed forces. They consented to implement the 2025 Defence Cooperation Plan approved by their respective Ministries of Defence.
Congratulating Khamlieng Outhakaysone on his new role as Defence Minister, Chien expressed confidence in his leadership and the continued development of the Lao People’s Army and the cooperation between the two armed forces.
Chien informed the Lao Defence Minister of his earlier meeting with Deputy Defence Minister Vongkham Phommakone, during which the two sides identified key areas of cooperation for 2025. These include continuing delegation exchanges at all levels, enhancing the effectiveness of existing mechanisms such as the Vietnam-Laos Defence Policy Dialogue and the Young Officers Exchange Programme, and advancing collaboration in UN peacekeeping.
During the meeting between the two deputy ministers, both sides agreed to instruct their agencies to closely coordinate in carrying out the Protocol on Vietnam-Laos Defence Cooperation for 2025–2029, the 2025 Cooperation Plan, and agreements reached by high-ranking leaders of both countries.
Chien emphasised Vietnam’s readiness to send working and specialised delegations to support Laos in preparing, deploying, and building capacity for peacekeeping operations.
He also expressed hope that the Lao Ministry of National Defence and the government would create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises, including military-run companies, to invest in Laos in areas such as information technology, digital transformation, postal services, construction, and mining.
