The Order of Friendship was awarded to several Lao leaders.

The awarding of the medal is an expression of gratitude to the collective and individuals who have done a good job in showing appreciation and repaying kindness.

On the afternoon of June 17th, in Vientiane, Laos, the Special Task Force of the Vietnamese Government (SCTF), led by Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Cung, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Deputy Minister of National Defense, acting on behalf of the President and the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam, awarded Friendship Orders, Medals, and Certificates of Merit from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to high-ranking leaders and officials from various ministries and agencies of Laos who have achieved outstanding results in coordinating with the SCTF of Vietnam in searching for, excavating, collecting, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives during the wars in Laos.

Senior Lao leaders receive the Friendship Order from Vietnam.

Attending the ceremony, on the Lao side were General Duangchay Phichith, Member of the Political Bureau, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense; leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Security of Laos, as well as leaders of various organizations and localities of Laos; and representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos.

The organizing committee of the ceremony highly appreciated and acknowledged the contributions of the units and individuals who received the prestigious awards bestowed by the Vietnamese Party and State. They also emphasized that Vietnam and Laos are two nations with long-standing ties and a common enemy in the struggle for national liberation.

During peacetime, in the spirit of gratitude and remembrance, for over 20 years, the Lao Government's Special Task Force has wholeheartedly assisted the Vietnamese Government's Special Task Force and various teams in collecting, searching for, excavating, and repatriating more than 16,400 remains of fallen soldiers for burial in Vietnamese martyrs' cemeteries.

The awarding of Government Medals and Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam to 473 collectives and 892 individuals of Laos is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to the Party, State, army, and people of Laos for their excellent work in honoring and repaying the debt of gratitude to the heroic martyrs.

The recipients of the Friendship Order this time were General Duangchay Phichith; Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Head of the Central Propaganda Department Cheang Sombounkhane; Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sounthon Sayachak; and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Labour, Social Affairs and Welfare of Laos.

According to (vov.vn) - LT