(KPL/VNA) Vietnam's Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang met with leaders of Laos in Vientiane on November 19 on the occasion of attending the 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus).

Making a courtesy call on General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Minister Giang congratulated Laos on the success of its ASEAN chairmanship in 2024 with many important meetings. He stressed that Vietnam keeps supporting Laos during this crucial year.

He also briefed the Lao leader on the recent situation in Vietnam and the results of cooperation between the two countries' defence ministries.

The Lao leader appreciated the meeting between the two countries' defence ministers, expressing satisfaction with the development of their bilateral cooperation.

Affirming that defence is a key pillar of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, Sisoulith urged the two defence ministries to continue to coordinate for the effective implementation of cooperation protocols, programmes and plans. He also stressed the need to widely disseminate the historical and strategic importance of Laos-Vietnam special relations in the armed forces.

On the same day, Giang also met with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, who stressed that defence cooperation is always one of the pillars of Laos-Vietnam relations and affirmed that strengthening this cooperation remains a priority for Laos.

Minister Giang reaffirmed the importance Vietnam attaches to preserving and deepening the special and unwavering relations between the two nations. He thanked Laos for its assistance in searching for, collecting and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Laos during the war.

He informed the Lao PM on the cooperation between the two defence ministries in the recent past, highlighting the success of the second Vietnam-Laos border defence friendship exchange last October.

Also on the day, Minister Giang had a meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Chansamone Chanyalath, during which the two sides agreed to closely coordinate to implement the defence cooperation protocol for the 2025-2029 period as well as the cooperation plan for 2025. They pointed to several priorities for bilateral cooperation, including Party's work and communication activities about the historical relations and strategic importance of Vietnam-Laos ties. The two ministers agree to maintain available cooperation mechanisms, such as high-level delegation exchanges and defence policy dialogues at the level of deputy ministers, and intensify joint efforts to address non-traditional security challenges, manage and protect the shared borderline, train human resources and continue to research and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Laos during wartime.

On this occasion, Giang invited Deputy PM and Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath and leaders of the Lao Defence Ministry and the Lao People's Army to attend the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), the 35th anniversary of the All-people’s National Defence Day, and the second Vietnam International Defence Expo slated for mid-December.

KPL