The 5th Judicial Conference of the provinces sharing the expanded Vietnam - Laos border in Nghe An

Overview of the 5th Conference of Justice of the provinces sharing the Vietnam - Laos expanded border. Photo: Pham Bang

CONTRIBUTE TO ENSURING PEACEFUL LIFE OF PEOPLE AND MAINTAINING PEACEFUL BORDER BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference, comrade Le Thanh Long - Minister of Justice of Vietnam emphasized that the organization of the 5th Judicial Conference of provinces sharing the expanded Vietnam - Laos border is necessary and has extremely practical significance.

The conference will objectively and fully assess the implementation of the conclusions of the 4th Conference, continue to make recommendations and proposals to improve the coordination mechanism more flexibly, promptly and substantially between the two Ministries of Justice, between local judicial agencies of border provinces and some other provinces of Vietnam and Laos, ensuring compliance with the law and creating the most favorable conditions for people living along the border of the two countries to stabilize their lives and ensure the legitimate rights and interests that the Constitutions of the two countries have granted them.

Comrade Le Thanh Long - Minister of Justice of Vietnam delivered the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

In his speech, Lao Minister of Justice Phayvi Sibualypha emphasized that the Lao Ministry of Justice always considers coordinating with the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice to periodically organize the Judicial Conference of provinces sharing the extended Vietnam - Laos border as one of the important tasks.

The conference aims to create an effective forum for local judicial and civil enforcement agencies of provinces sharing the border to discuss and propose solutions to enhance cooperation between judicial and civil enforcement agencies of the two countries, contributing to ensuring a peaceful life for people and maintaining a peaceful Laos-Vietnam border.

Comrade Fayvi Xi-bua-li-pha - Minister of Justice delivered the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

On behalf of the provincial leaders, in his welcoming speech at the conference, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province emphasized that Nghe An is an important province, converging common factors, at the same time having many specific and distinct factors; having the longest common border with Laos in the country with more than 468 km; bordering the three provinces of Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan and Bolikhamxay.

Emphasizing that implementing comprehensive cooperation activities with localities of Laos is always considered one of the especially important political tasks of Nghe An, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that, up to now, in addition to traditional cooperation with 3 provinces sharing the border, namely Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Nghe An has expanded cooperative relations with the capital Vientiane, the provinces of Khammouane, Savannakhet, Xay Som Bun.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province delivered a welcome speech at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding judicial activities, in response to the requirements of administrative reform, judicial reform, and building a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people; the judicial sector of the two countries has been increasingly assigned many new tasks and has affirmed its important position and role in political life, socio-economic development, and international integration.

Along with strengthening the organization and construction of the sector, Nghe An Department of Justice has deployed tasks comprehensively and synchronously at all levels. Many aspects of work have gone into depth, with order and quality, contributing to the good implementation of local political tasks.

Leaders of the Department of Justice of Lao provinces attended the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

In particular, the Department of Justice of Nghe An has coordinated with departments, branches, sectors, and units advising the People's Committee of Nghe An province to successfully implement the Agreement between the Government of Laos and the Government of Vietnam on free migration and unregistered marriage in border areas; Organized the signing of a cooperation agreement on judicial work between the Department of Justice of Nghe An province and the Department of Justice of Xieng Khouang and Hua Phan provinces.

Currently, there are 211 Lao people living in the border communes of Nghe An who have been naturalized as Vietnamese citizens, with stable lives, living in harmony with the Vietnamese ethnic community.

CREATING NEW MOTIVATION FOR FRIENDLY COOPERATIONVIETNAM - LAOS

The conference heard 6 main presentations from the Vietnamese and Lao sides with relatively comprehensive and profound assessments of the judicial cooperation between the two countries in recent times. Since the 4th conference, the management and registration of civil status, and the settlement of nationality issues in the Vietnam-Laos border provinces have been increasingly strengthened; the judicial agencies of the Vietnam-Laos border provinces have actively coordinated to implement the Agreement between the two governments on resolving the issues of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the border areas.

Leaders of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and Nghe An province attended the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

The conference highly appreciated the efforts and positivity of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and the Ministry of Justice of Laos, the Departments of Justice and civil enforcement agencies of the two countries in implementing the Conclusions of the 4th Border Conference, coordinating to resolve many judicial tasks at the local level. In particular, the conference highly appreciated the efforts of the judicial agencies of the two countries in implementing the Agreement between the two Governments on resolving the issues of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the border areas of the two countries.

Up to now, the number of Lao people who migrated freely and got married out of wedlock and resided in Vietnam approved by the Head of the Border Delegation of the two countries and have been granted Vietnamese nationality is 1,516/1,836 cases; the number of Vietnamese people who migrated freely and got married out of wedlock and resided in Laos approved by the Head of the Border Delegation of the two countries and have been granted Lao nationality is 2,726/6,571 cases.

Leaders of the Lao Ministry of Justice attended the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding upcoming activities, the conference agreed that the Ministries of Justice of the two countries will continue to closely coordinate with relevant agencies to resolve cases of Vietnamese spontaneous migrants residing in Laos, whose names are on the list approved by the Heads of the Border Delegations of the two countries, who wish to acquire Lao nationality but have not yet been granted nationality, and strive to complete this before June 2023.

The two countries' Ministries of Justice will soon complete negotiations to sign the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil Matters, improving the effectiveness of implementing requests for judicial assistance in civil matters; enhancing coordination in multilateral and regional judicial assistance cooperation activities, including coordinating the implementation of Vietnam's initiative on enhancing mutual legal assistance in civil matters in ASEAN.

Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Lao Ministry of Justice speaking at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Comrade Nguyen Cong Hoan - Deputy Director of the Department of Justice of Nghe An province spoke at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Local judicial agencies continue to further promote the work of propaganda, dissemination, legal education, and legal aid for citizens of the two countries living in border areas; enhance exchanges and sharing of experiences in civil judgment enforcement; coordinate to effectively implement annual cooperation programs to implement the Cooperation Agreement for the period 2021-2025 between the two Ministries of Justice.

Concluding the conference, the leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and the Lao Minister of Justice expressed their belief that the important results achieved at the conference will continue to create new momentum for the special and comprehensive traditional friendship and cooperation between the two judicial sectors of Laos and Vietnam, making a practical contribution to maintaining the general relationship between the two countries as well as to building a peaceful, stable, developed and prosperous Southeast Asia and Asia.

Leaders of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and the Ministry of Justice of Laos signed the Cooperation Program for 2023. Photo: Pham Bang

The Department of Justice of Son La province (Vietnam) and the Department of Justice of Xayaburi province (Laos) signed a cooperation agreement. Photo: Pham Bang

At the conference, the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and the Ministry of Justice of Laos signed the Cooperation Program between the two countries in 2023; the Department of Justice of Son La province (Vietnam) and the Department of Justice of Xay-nha-bu-li province (Laos) signed a cooperation agreement./.