The festival features the participation of 90 youth delegates from the three countries, aimed at forging solidarity and traditional friendship, while expanding exchanges and cooperation among young people from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It is being held in Quang Ngai, the only province in Vietnam that shares a land border with both Laos and Cambodia.

Held under the theme “Solidarity-Friendship-Development,” the festival runs from December 25 to 28 and features a range of activities, including a dialogue titled “A green journey for sustainable development,” cultural and historical visits highlighting local socio-economic potential, as well as cultural, artistic and sporting exchanges among youth from the three countries.

In his opening speech, Nguyen Ngoc Sam, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ngai provincial People’s Committee, said Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are neighbouring countries bound by long-standing solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation. These ties, he noted, have been carefully nurtured by the Party, the State and the people of all three countries, and continue to deepen and deliver more practical results.

In recent years, Quang Ngai province has made sustained efforts, with a strong sense of responsibility, to implement cooperation and development mechanisms among the three countries, achieving positive outcomes across various fields.

In youth affairs, young people in Quang Ngai have expanded exchanges with their counterparts in Champasack, Attapeu, Sekong and Khammuane provinces of Laos, as well as Rattanakiri province of Cambodia, through activities such as student solidarity events and traditional New Year celebrations.

He said these results have helped further strengthen solidarity, friendship and good neighbourly relations among the three countries, particularly through cooperation among young people.

Nguyen Ngoc Sam expressed his hope that the experiences gained at the festival, together with positive impressions of Quang Ngai, a land known for its beauty and heroic traditions, would become valuable assets for participating youth, enabling them to serve as firm bridges connecting the enduring friendship among Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, described as “forever green and everlasting.”

Also addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyen Kim Quy, Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Federation, said the festival is held at a time when the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos continue to be consolidated, strengthened and developed in a sustainable manner.

Across different historical periods, he stated, the people and youth of the three countries have stood shoulder to shoulder, sharing hardships and supporting one another in the struggle for national independence, as well as in current efforts to build, protect and develop their countries.

Amid ongoing changes in the region and the world, he said, further strengthening and developing close ties among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia carries long-term and strategic significance.

“Young people from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are a pioneering force, entrusted with the responsibility of preserving and nurturing the long-standing friendship among the three nations,” Nguyen Kim Quy said. “They are not only beneficiaries of peace and cooperation, but also ambassadors of friendship, taking the lead in study, work, creativity and international exchanges.”

Souliya Keophilavong, Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union, and Tum Saravuth, a member of the Central Committee of the Cambodian Youth Federation, shared the view that the festival is a meaningful activity that helps solidify traditional solidarity and long-term friendship among youth from the three countries, thereby contributing to a peaceful, friendly and prosperous environment, particularly in border areas.

Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia youth festival attracts nearly 200 students

VOV.VN - Children from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13 as part of an ongoing international exchange programme taking place in the southern city.

110 delegates in HCM City for ASEAN-Japan Youth Festival 2023

VOV.VN - As many as 110 youth delegates from nine ASEAN member countries and Japan have arrived in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2023 ASEAN-Japan Youth Festival from December 12-15.