Vietnam-Laos friendship year experiences myriad activities across fields

Vientiane (VNA) - The Consulate General of Vietnam in Laos’s Luang Prabang province has coordinated with eight northern Lao provinces to organise a ceremony reviewing the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Year of Friendship 2022.

Addressing the November 30 ceremony, Consul General Kieu Thi Hang Phuc said in both nations, the year is bustling with activities across all levels in many fields of politics-diplomacy, defence-security, economy, and culture.

She said political, diplomatic cooperation has been strengthened, consolidating the nations’ great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.

According to her, the defence-security between northern Lao provinces and Vietnamese border provinces like Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Son La, and a number of military regions have been well maintained via joint patrols, experience exchange sessions, human resources training, and martyrs’ remains search and repatriation.

The diplomat also took note of progress made in the bilateral joint works in economy, culture, health, and sci-technology, with many cooperation pacts signed to facilitate trade and investment.

On behalf of the Lao localities, Governor of Oudomxay Bounkhong Lachiemphone noted that in 2022, the eight provinces and their Vietnam's sister and cooperative provinces have exchanged many high-level delegations to visit, work, sign cooperation documents, and attend important political events. The two sides also exchanged cooperation lessons in all fields, he added.

Friendship activities in the year helped boost mutual understanding on the tradition, meaning, and importance of the countries’ loyal and pure relations, the official stressed.

Such joint works need to be expanded in the time to come for capacity improvement of both sides and for their more effective cooperation, he said./.