(KPL) The Lao, Vietnamese, Cambodia armies completed a five-day disaster rescue exercises in Vientiane on September 15.

Closing ceremony was attended by President Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Samdech Pichey  Sena Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Laos General Chansamon Chanyalat, and  Minister of National Defence of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang.

The rescue exercises by three countries’ governments and armed forces have given priority to preventing and responding to threats by natural disasters and climate change-related issues, for examples flooding, storm, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, drought and others.

It aims to build capacity and expertise in responding to natural disasters in any circumstance, but also provides an opportunity for the three sides to step up experience and cultural exchanges, contributing to strengthening the solidarity and trust among them.

It is the first drill organised under an agreement inked at a defence ministers’ meeting among the three countries in Hanoi in 2019.

KPL