Vientiane (VNA) – The Party, State,and Defence Ministry of Laos held a grand ceremony in Vientiane on December 26to mark the 70th anniversary of the traditional day of Vietnamese volunteersoldiers and experts in Laos (October 30, 1949).

Addressing the event, General ChansamoneChanyalath, Politburo member and Minister of Defence, said hundreds ofthousands of Vietnamese people volunteered to perform international missions inLaos 70 years ago.

Vietnamese soldiers and experts stood side byside with the Lao counterparts to fight foreign invaders, he said.

He affirmed that the Lao Party, State, army andpeople always remember the sacrifice of Vietnamese soldiers for Laos’ nationalindependence.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, army andpeople for supporting Laos in the past and at present.

The Lao Defence Minister extended his specialthanks to former Vietnamese soldiers and experts who performed internationalmissions in Laos and made remarkable contributions to the two countries’revolutionary cause.

For his part, General Ngo Xuan Lich, Politburomember, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister ofDefence of Vietnam, highlighted the significance of the ceremony, whilestressing the special solidarity and faithful relations between Vietnamese andLao Parties, States, armies, and peoples.

He said in the context of complicateddevelopments in the region and the world, Vietnam will continue sparing noeffort to nurture the long-standing relations with Laos across politics,economy, culture, education, health care, science-technology, defence-security,and external affairs.

He called on the two countries to step upcooperation in the field of defence and security to maintain an environment ofpeace and stability for socio-economic development in each country, whileclosely working together in building and protecting the Vietnam-Laos sharedborder of peace, friendship, stability, and prosperous development.

The two sides should enhance coordination toprevent cross-border trafficking crimes, and organise border friendly exchangesto increase mutual understanding and trust, he suggested.

Vietnam and Laos should focus on improvingcooperation in the Party and political work in addition to coordinating todefeat all plots of destroying and separating the sound relations between thetwo countries.

Minister Lich also recommended intensifyingcooperation in prevention and settlement of natural disaster consequences, aswell as search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers andexperts in Laos./.