Protect, preserve and develop the sacred and invaluable relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

On the afternoon of August 17, in Vinh City, Nghe An Province held a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2022), and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam - Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 - July 18, 2022). Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council delivered a speech emphasizing: The Party Committee, Government, and People of all ethnic groups in Nghe An Province will be determined and make every effort to, together with the provinces and people of Laos, protect, preserve, and develop the sacred and invaluable relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

Nghe An Newspaper respectfully publishes the full text of the speech of the Provincial Party Secretary at the Commemoration Ceremony:

Panorama of the Celebration. Photo: Thanh Duy

- Dear Comrade Seng Phet Hung Bun Nhuong - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao PDR to Vietnam;

-Dear leaders of Xieng Khouang provinces,Ly Kham Xay;Hua Phan,Vientiane,Late Night,Squat BunandSavannahDear delegates of the Lao PDR and delegates of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam!

- Dear comrades!

In the warm atmosphere of the Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Solidarity Year 2022, today, Nghe An province solemnly organized the Ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.

On behalf of the Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province, I respectfully send to the delegates of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the delegates of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam my warmest greetings and best wishes.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council spoke at the Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Dear comrades!

As two close neighboring countries, both leaning against the majestic Truong Son mountain range, Vietnam and Laos soon built diplomatic relations, connecting and supporting each other throughout the history of building and defending the country of the two peoples.

In particular, since the birth of the Indochinese Communist Party, directly founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane, and cultivated by successive generations of leaders of the two Parties, States and Peoples, the traditional relationship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos has continuously blossomed and borne sweet fruit, becoming a miraculous force leading to many great victories in the struggle for national liberation, building and defending the country and advancing together towards socialism.

Delegates from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders of Lao provinces and Nghe An province attended the ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

This special relationship, the more it goes through countless challenges, hardships, and sacrifices, the more beautiful it becomes, as President Ho Chi Minh described:"Vietnam and Laos, our two countries, have a love deeper than the Red River and Mekong River."; President Souphanouvong compares"higher than the mountains, longer than the rivers, wider than the sea, more beautiful than the full moon, more fragrant than any flower"President Kaysone Phomvihane has repeatedly affirmed:"Mountains may wear away, rivers may dry up, but the Laos-Vietnam relationship will forever be stronger than mountains and rivers.".

Going back in history 60 years ago, in the context of the fierce resistance war against imperialist invaders of the Vietnamese and Lao people, on September 5, 1962, Vietnam and Laos officially established diplomatic relations. This important event opened a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, affirming the close fate of Vietnam and Laos in the struggle for national liberation and reunification.

During those difficult and arduous years, the Vietnamese and Lao armies and people shared deeply and greatly in both material and spiritual terms, “biting a grain of salt in half, breaking a piece of vegetable in half”. The Party, State and People of Vietnam sent tens of thousands of cadres and soldiers to coordinate, help and fight side by side with the Lao army and people.

Delegates attending the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

The Lao Party, State and People have also wholeheartedly supported and loved Vietnamese soldiers more than their own children; actively supported Vietnam in building the Western Truong Son strategic transportation route to serve the cause of liberating the South. On a trench, the sweat and blood of Vietnamese soldiers and experts mixed with the blood and sweat of Lao soldiers and people, contributing to bringing the revolutionary cause of national liberation of the two countries to complete victory in 1975.

After the restoration of peace, stemming from the need for deep and urgent cooperation between the two countries in the new context, on July 18, 1977, Vietnam and Laos signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. Over the past 45 years, the Treaty has been the foundation, an important political and legal basis for the comprehensive development of the Vietnam-Laos relationship, increasingly deepening, making great contributions to the process of innovation, building and protecting the Fatherland of each country. In particular, since February 2019, the political relationship of "traditional friendship" between the two countries has been consolidated and elevated to "great friendship", affirming an exemplary international relationship, rare in the world.

Delegates from Laos attend the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Dear comrades!

In the historical flow of the great friendship between Vietnam and Laos, Nghe An is a locality with an important position, converging common elements, while also having many unique and specific elements.

Located in the center of the North Central region, Nghe An province has the largest natural area in the country with nearly 16,500km²; has the longest common border with Laos in Vietnam, more than 468km, spanning 6 districts and 27 communes of the province. The natural terrain, history and culture of the border area between Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan and Bo Ly Kham Xay provinces of Laos have many similarities. The residents here live in harmony and close together, growing up together from working on the same fields, drinking the same water, walking the same road, listening to the same rooster crowing in the morning; have long-standing kinship relationships, regularly visiting relatives, and exchanging culture and economy with each other. The Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province identify strengthening and promoting comprehensive cooperation with localities of the Lao PDR as one of the particularly important political tasks, always given top priority.

Delegates from Laos attend the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Immediately after Laos regained its national independence, in mid-October 1945, on his way back from Hanoi on a business trip, Prince Souphanouvong visited and worked with the People's Committee of Nghe An province. During the friendly meeting, the two sides affirmed: Solidarity and mutual assistance in fighting the common enemy is a long-term, consistent strategic task; coordinating with each other in all aspects, building political bases, resistance bases, helping each other with weapons and materials, and helping each other with the footholds of the two sides.

Nghe An is also the land that left an indelible mark on a talented engineer of Laos - Prince Souphanouvong, with major projects he designed and managed such as Bara Do Luong and the Northern irrigation system, Yen Xuan Railway Bridge, Song Ro Reservoir... He later became Chairman of the Supreme People's Council, President of the Lao PDR - a close and loyal comrade of President Ho Chi Minh, of the Party, State and People of Vietnam.

Imbued with the teachings of beloved Uncle Ho: “Helping friends is helping yourself” and with selfless and pure international sentiment, throughout the years of resistance against the common enemy, despite countless difficulties and shortages, Nghe An has devoted the best it can, fulfilling its mission as a direct rear base to provide manpower and resources for the battlefields in Laos. Tens of thousands of Nghe An’s outstanding children have left their homeland, volunteered to fight and heroically sacrificed in Laos; considering Laos as their second homeland, loving the mountains, rivers, plants, and people of Laos as they love the mountains, rivers, plants, and people of the Fatherland Vietnam. Nghe An’s army and people have provided, undertaken, and participated in transporting tens of thousands of tons of food, military supplies, and weapons to promptly serve the battlefields in Central Laos, Upper Laos, the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang, etc., contributing significantly to the glorious revolutionary victories of the two peoples and two countries.

Leaders of departments, branches and localities of Nghe An province attended the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Dear comrades!

Entering the period of integration, opening up, consistently implementing the foreign policy of the Party and State of Vietnam, the Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province continue to maintain and develop good cooperative and friendly relations with many localities of Laos. Up to now, in addition to traditional cooperation with 3 provinces sharing the border: Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, Bo Ly Kham Xay, Nghe An has expanded cooperative relations with the provinces of Vientiane, Kham Muon, Savannakhet, Xay Som Bun in many fields.

In addition to regularly maintaining contact and exchanging experiences at all levels, the effectiveness of cooperation is affirmed by specific works and tasks, marking the loyal and warm feelings of the people of Nghe An province in the Land of a Million Elephants such as: Phôn-xá-vãn High School; Cultural House, Xieng Khouang Provincial Hospital; School and Community Cultural House of Hua Phan Province; Kham Cot District Ethnic High School, military-civilian medical station in Xay-cham-phon District, Bo-ly-kham-xay Province;...

Every year, President Ho Chi Minh's hometown has spent tens of billions of VND to support the training of cadres in Lao provinces in the fields of military, national defense, education, security and order, health;... From 2017 to now, more than 1,200 Lao cadres and students have come to study and research at universities and colleges in Nghe An province. Many Lao students have been welcomed by families in Nghe An as their own children. At the same time, many cadres and students in Nghe An province have also been accepted for short-term and long-term training at universities and colleges in Laos.

Representatives of Lao students studying in Nghe An attended the celebration. Photo: Thanh Duy

Joint patrols to protect national border markers and build a peaceful and friendly border are regularly maintained. Joint efforts to combat and suppress crimes are effectively implemented. The twinning movement on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border has been promoted; 21 pairs of Ban-Ban and 8 pairs of Border Guard Stations - Border Guard Companies have been signed, thereby contributing to further strengthening the solidarity and friendship between the people and border protection forces on both sides.

In particular, with the philosophy of “When drinking water, remember its source”, Nghe An province has closely coordinated and received enthusiastic support from Lao localities in searching, collecting, gathering, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos. To date, Nghe An has welcomed more than 13,000 heroes and martyrs back to their homeland. The only international martyrs’ cemetery in the country named after the two countries of Vietnam and Laos has been solemnly built in Nghe An, forever becoming one of the sacred symbols of the special solidarity and fighting alliance between Vietnam and Laos.

Not only helping each other in many aspects, Nghe An and Laos are becoming potential economic partners. In the period from 2018 to the second quarter of 2022, the total import and export turnover between Nghe An and Laos reached more than 139 million USD. In the first 6 months of 2022 alone, it reached nearly 35 million USD, 11.5 million USD higher than the whole year of 2021. Border trade, transportation, tourism, shopping, and resort activities are increasingly vibrant.

Dear comrades!

With the effective cooperation, wholehearted support of Lao localities, the efforts of the Party Committee, the Government, the ethnic groups in the province, and the valuable assistance of the Central Government, in recent years, the socio-economic situation of Nghe An province has developed quite comprehensively and achieved important achievements. The scale of the economy currently ranks 10th nationwide. The growth rate remains quite high, reaching 8.44% in the first 6 months of 2022. The budget revenue in the first 7 months of 2022 is nearly 12,500 billion VND, reaching over 75% of the plan. Culture and society have many bright spots, especially in the fields of health, education, and new rural construction. Social security, material and spiritual life of the people are concerned and increasingly improved. National defense, security, social order and safety are ensured. Party building and political system building are given comprehensive attention in all aspects.

Representatives of Nghe An youth attending the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

The Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province are also extremely pleased with the important achievements in the construction and socio-economic development, maintaining national defense, security and international integration of Laos and other Lao provinces in the recent past. We believe that under the wise leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, you will continue to achieve even greater achievements, successfully building a peaceful, independent, unified and prosperous Laos.

In the upcoming development journey, Nghe An province always wishes and is ready to accompany, cooperate and share with Lao provinces in all fields, especially in the fields that both sides need and have strengths. In particular, high priority is given to strengthening strategic infrastructure connections such as: highways, border trade, logistics services, seaports, etc. Continuing to improve the quality of cooperation in education, training, health, tourism, science - technology, climate change adaptation, natural disaster prevention, etc., contributing to complementing each other's advantages in socio-economic development; constantly fostering political trust, promoting security and defense cooperation, creating a peaceful and stable environment, firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of each country.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao PDR to Vietnam, along with representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the Standing Committee and the Standing Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee took a souvenir photo with the leaders of 7 provinces of Laos at the Commemoration Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Dear comrades!

The 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty is a political event affirming an important milestone and honoring the greatness of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos; paying tribute to and remembering the great contributions of the great President Ho Chi Minh, beloved President Kaysone Phomvihane, generations of leaders of the Party, State, army and people of the two countries who have built, preserved and developed the relationship between Vietnam and Laos over the past decades.

The world and the region are undergoing profound and complex changes. More than ever, we must be more aware of the task of inheriting and further developing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, considering this a way of life, a consistent sentiment, a rule of survival, a factor ensuring the victory of the revolutionary cause of each Party and each country in the new period. The Party Committee, Government and people of all ethnic groups in Nghe An province will be determined and make every effort to, together with the provinces and people of Laos, protect, preserve and develop this sacred and invaluable relationship.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Lao Party, State and People for their good feelings, valuable support and assistance to Nghe An throughout the past revolutionary journey. I would like to thank the Lao Embassy in Vietnam for always supporting, connecting and fostering the steadfast friendship and solidarity between Nghe An province and other provinces of Laos. I hope that in the coming time, we will continue to receive more attention, support and cooperation from you comrades.

May the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and peoples of Vietnam and Laos; between Nghe An province and other provinces of our brotherly Laos develop ever more greenly and last forever.

Wishing all delegates and guests good health, happiness and success!

Thank you very much./.

(Title by Nghe An Newspaper)