(KPL/VNA) Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 5 for Lao Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army (LPA) Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith, believing that he will play a crucial role in developing the Lao army while bolstering bilateral defence ties.

Stressing the enduring significance of the great Vietnam-Laos friendship in national building and safeguarding of both countries, PM Chinh reaffirmed Vietnam’s appreciation for Laos' support in national defence and development.

Vietnam will continue to stand by Laos as it navigates challenges and strives for sustainable growth, he said, reaffirming Vietnam’s commitment to facilitating the two armies' cooperation.

Defence collaboration, he noted, stands as a crucial pillar of the bilateral relationship, underpinned by shared achievements across a wide range of areas, including joint military and defence planning, intelligence sharing, strategic consultations, mutual support in enhancing defence capabilities, human resources training, and effective mechanisms for military exchanges, dialogues and twinning.

Kommasith, for his part, informed the host about the successful talks between the General Staff of the LPA and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, saying that both sides agreed to accelerate joint work, focusing on effectively realising common perceptions reached by leaders, especially the 2024 Vietnam-Laos High-Level Agreement and outcomes of the recent trilateral meeting among leaders of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

According to him, they pledged to enhance strategic consultations through high-level meetings and the Defence Policy Dialogue mechanism; reinforce border security coordination, including the building of border village clusters; prioritise human resources training, expand collaboration in logistics, information technology, defence industry, economic development and mutual support at multilateral forums.

PM Chinh suggested the two armies enhance coordination and provide strategic advice about national defence and security matters. He underscored the need of translating the outcomes of the February trilateral meetings among the party leaders and PMs of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in Ho Chi Minh City into actions, thus reinforcing the close solidarity among the three nations and advancing existing cooperation mechanisms.

Key priorities include increasing military exchanges and joint activities, personnel training, collaboration in cybersecurity, logistics, and technical support, strengthening management and protection of the Vietnam-Laos border for peace, stability and development, fighting transnational crime, and enhancing awareness about the Vietnam – Laos great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive between the two countries and armies.

KPL