Three Vietnamese border guard stations based in Dien Bien province have set up twinning relations with Border Guard Company 119 from the Military Command of Laos’ Phongsaly province.

Vietnamese and Lao delegations visited the Long Sap border guard station in Moc Chau district, the northwestern province of Son La on October 22, as part of the second Vietnam-Lao border defence friendship exchange.

Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai, Commander of the Vietnam Border Guard force, held annual talks with Director General of the Lao Border Military Department Major General Siphan Phoutthavong in Luang Prabang on October 24.

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam paid courtesy calls to General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, and Prime Minister of the country Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane on September 29.

The first seminar between young border defence officers of Vietnam and Laos took place in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, on November 9.

Enterprises of Vietnam have been recommended to diversify markets, including nearby countries, to promote exports, which are bouncing back strongly but also facing certain headwinds.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security will help its Lao counterpart build 287 village police stations in the time ahead, with construction of the first one starting on November 12.

A conference took place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on July 24 to review its cooperation programme with Laos’ Salavan province in building a borderline of peace and friendship during the 2012-2018 period.

A high-level discussion took place in Quang Tri on July 24 to review the implementation of a cooperation agreement signed between the hosting central province and the Lao border province of Salavan.

A joint project on increasing and upgrading border markers along the Vietnam – Laos border was reviewed at a conference in Hanoi on May 19, aiming to better the management of the border in the future.