Warm special friendship between Vietnam and Laos

(Baonghean) - "A bowl of rice shared in half, a grain of salt bitten in half" has become an immortal image, praising the beautiful friendship and the profound sharing of material and spiritual things between the people of Vietnam and Laos in general, and Nghe An province with the provinces of Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan, Bolikhamxay, Vientiane, Khammouane, Savannakhet, Xay Som Bun in particular...

That special solidarity and friendship has become an invaluable asset, a precious resource and an important factor ensuring the success of each country's revolution.Vietnam and Laos are two neighboring countries with mountains and rivers connected by a close relationship.

The brotherhood between the two nations has been formed and consolidated along with the long history of building and defending the country. Especially over the past decades, the good traditional relationship and the loyal attachment between the two peoples have been laid the foundation by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Suphanuvong, and have been diligently cultivated by generations of leaders of the two Parties, two States and peoples, tempered through many challenges and forged by the efforts and blood of many generations of heroic martyrs, to become invaluable assets of the two nations.

Vietnam-Laos Love. Photo: Tran Duy Ngoan

55 years ago, the resistance war against the US for national salvation of the Vietnamese and Lao people entered a difficult and fierce period. But with important victories in politics, military and diplomacy of the Lao revolution, the 1962 Geneva Agreement on Laos was signed, opening a new period of development for the revolutions of Laos and Vietnam.

Given that opportunity and favorable conditions, the two countries officially established diplomatic relations on September 5, 1962. This was a major historical event, a very important milestone in the relationship between the two countries, affirming the close connection of the fate of the two peoples in the struggle for independence and unification.

After the two countries were completely liberated, in order to develop the Vietnam - Laos relationship comprehensively and increasingly in depth, the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation on July 18, 1977. Over the past forty years, the Treaty has become an important political and legal basis for the two countries to continuously consolidate and develop their relationship, effectively serving the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Looking back over the past 55 years, Nghe An province is proud to have, together with other provinces of the brotherly Laos, contributed to enhancing the traditional relationship between the two countries. During the resistance war years, with noble, pure, and loyal international sentiment, countless Nghe An people put aside personal feelings for the greater good, leaving their homeland for the friendly country of Laos to fight together against the common enemy to gain independence and freedom for the two peoples.

With peace restored, hundreds of experts and thousands of cadres from Nghe An province continued to travel to neighboring provinces of Laos to help overcome the consequences, heal the wounds of war, rebuild works serving socio-economic development, and strengthen national defense and security.

Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia friendship border marker. Photo: Tran Duy Ngoan

Up to now, the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Nghe An province and Lao provinces have been constantly consolidated, maintained and developed. The Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy activities with the provinces of Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Vientiane, Khammouane, Savannakhet and Xay Som Bun have become increasingly effective, in-depth and achieved many outstanding results.

Delegations to visit, work, study and exchange experiences are organized regularly and diversely, from the provincial to the district, department and sector levels. In particular, the regime of rotating high-level talks and signing of memoranda of understanding at the provincial level; security and order meetings, and periodic meetings between districts along the border are well maintained and effective.

Nghe An is also honored to welcome many high-ranking delegations and leaders of ministries, departments and central branches of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to visit, study, work and organize conferences and seminars. Activities to support socio-economic development, national defense and security are focused on by both sides.

Welcoming him back to his homeland. (Funeral ceremony for 107 martyrs who died while on international duty in Laos). Photo: Canh Nam

Many important projects and works in the fields of culture, education, health, and transportation in Lao provinces have received investment support from Nghe An province. With reasonable preferential policies and incentives from both sides, trade and investment cooperation between Nghe An and Lao provinces has grown rapidly in recent years.

The traffic system and connecting transport services have been invested and expanded. Tourist routes have been developed. Currently, there are about 90 Nghe An enterprises directly investing and doing business effectively in the Lao market with a total capital of over 200 million USD.

In the field of culture and education, Nghe An attaches great importance to cooperation in training and developing human resources for the neighboring provinces of Laos. Every year, Nghe An province receives more than 90 cadres, students and pupils to study, research and improve their professional skills at universities and colleges in Nghe An province.

Up to now, Nghe An province has trained 740 cadres, students and pupils for the provinces of Lao PDR (every year, the province allocates 6.5 - 7 billion VND from Nghe An budget to support). The provinces of Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay and Vientiane have helped to receive 15 cadres and students of Nghe An province to study short and long term at universities and colleges in Laos.

On the occasion of the Vietnam - Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2017, Nghe An province was honored to receive the Party, State and Lao provinces' commendation for 24 collectives and 50 individuals in many forms such as: Second-class Labor Medal for the Party Committee and people of Nghe An province; Third-class Medal for the Provincial Military Command; Certificate of Merit from the Government for the Provincial Police; Labor Medal for the Provincial Border Guard Command and the Military Region 4 Command; Certificates of Merit from the Secretary and Governor of Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Vientiane and Khammouane provinces for collectives and individuals with many contributions to foreign affairs activities. Nghe An province also presented Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to 31 collectives and 37 individuals from 7 Lao provinces.

Signing of memorandum of understanding between villages near the Vietnam - Laos border. Photo by Nguyen Nguyen

The 42nd anniversary of the National Day of the Lao PDR is an occasion to once again deeply affirm an exemplary, loyal, pure and sustainable relationship that is rare in the relations between nations in the world; that is the special friendship between the two Parties, two States, and people of Vietnam and Laos in general, and of Nghe An province and Lao provinces in particular.

That extremely close relationship, in times of difficulty, is multiplied by the spirit of deep sharing. Congratulating the great victories that Laos has strived to achieve over the past 42 years, the Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An province wish the leaders of the Party, Government and people of Lao ethnic groups to continue to gain many new victories in the cause of building a prosperous and developed Laos; Nghe An province will always stand side by side with the people of Lao ethnic groups to strive to build two countries that are constantly developing; continue to contribute to bringing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos to new heights, forever green, forever sustainable.

Le Xuan Dai
(Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province)