Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long was elected Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association.

On the morning of December 1, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province held its Congress for the 2022-2027 term. Attending were Mr. Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and 122 delegates, representing 12 member associations in the whole province.

Congress of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province for the 2022-2027 term. Photo: My Nga

In the past term, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province has proactively coordinated to organize people-to-people diplomacy activities, achieving many practical results, contributing to fostering solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between Nghe An province and the provinces sharing the border in particular.

Notable are the foreign affairs of the Provincial Border Guard, border districts, the Provincial Fatherland Front, the Provincial Youth Union and universities and colleges with Lao students studying abroad in the area.

The Association also launched a contest to learn about the history of Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam relations on the occasion of the anniversary, attracting the participation of many people from all walks of life; organized a contest to learn about Vietnamese culture with hundreds of Lao and Thai students participating; held a Vietnamese speaking contest for Lao students, resulting in 5 contestants winning regional prizes and 1 contestant winning first prize nationwide.

Mr. Le Xuan Dai - Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association for the period 2014-2022 delivered the opening speech of the Congress. Photo: My Nga

Through the Border Defense foreign affairs activities, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association and the Border Defense Force have advised local Party committees and authorities to organize twinning of 21 pairs of villages on both sides of the border; 8 border posts with border protection forces and border gates of Laos; the Provincial Border Defense Force has sponsored 19 Lao students with difficult family circumstances. The twinning activities have brought the people and the forces on duty of the two sides closer together, and brought practical results in the task of protecting border security and sovereignty.

Every year, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of the province coordinates with the Provincial Border Guard Command and schools with Lao students studying to organize activities to celebrate the traditional New Year, celebrate Lao National Day and cultural and artistic exchanges. In addition, the Association has 120 member families participating in the Homestay Exchange Program with Lao students, with more than 200 Lao students accepting to become twin families.

Recognizing the strategic position and importance of the relationship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos, in the 2022-2027 term, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province sets the goal of creating a strong and important change in the awareness of people's foreign affairs of agencies, departments, branches and members; combining well the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's foreign affairs according to the Party's new viewpoint; paying more attention to people's foreign affairs with the three provinces sharing the border with Nghe An province; strengthening friendly exchanges with Laos to continuously foster the special solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long spoke at the Congress. Photo: My Nga

Speaking at the congress, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long acknowledged and highly appreciated the dedicated and responsible working spirit of the entire Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of the province in the past term. In the coming term, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long suggested that the Association focus on a number of key areas such as: Continuing to carry out people-to-people diplomacy activities well; actively propagating so that the people and the younger generation understand and deeply understand the traditional relationship between the two Parties and the two States; learning about opportunities for cooperation, investment, and support for the neighboring country in training human resources.

In addition, priority is given to a number of specific tasks such as: Regularly organizing friendly exchanges, strengthening solidarity through traditional holidays and celebrations; organizing visits and encouraging Lao students studying in Nghe An on holidays, Tet, and important events in Vietnam-Laos relations.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long presented flowers to congratulate the comrades who did not participate in the Executive Committee of the Association for the 2022-2027 term. Photo: My Nga

The Congress elected 30 members of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association for the 2022-2027 term. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long was elected to hold the position of Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association for the 2022-2027 term.

Also at the congress, 5 collectives and 4 individuals received Certificates of Merit from the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association for their outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in the 2017-2022 period.

Five groups and four individuals were awarded Certificates of Merit by the Central Committee of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association for their outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in the 2017-2022 period. Photo: My Nga

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