Close and special friendship

(Baonghean) - In the struggle against foreign invaders and in national construction, Vietnam and Laos, including the provinces of Nghe An, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay and Hua Phan, are close neighbors with long-standing close relations in many aspects, becoming loyal and steadfast friends.

After many years of hardship, fighting and sacrifice for independence and freedom, under the wise leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the Lao Itxala Front, on December 2, 1975, the Lao ethnic people rose up to overthrow the monarchy and establish the Lao People's Democratic Republic. This is a brilliant milestone in the modern history of Laos, becoming a national festival and National Day of the Lao ethnic people.

Exchange activities and experience sharing between Nghe An and Lao provinces are held regularly.

...The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, with their solid foundations laid by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane, and the efforts of generations of leaders of the two Parties, two States and the two peoples, have been increasingly consolidated and developed well. Thanks to that special solidarity, the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos have been given more strength and indomitable will, always standing side by side, sharing joys and sorrows, and overcoming difficulties and challenges together.

Thanh Thuy Border Gate Border Guard Station, Nghe An Border Guard, in coordination with Nam On Police Station (Laos) patrolled to protect security on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border (March 2013). Photo: Le Thach

In recent years, the friendly and cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between Nghe An and the border provinces in particular, has had new developments. Up to now, Nghe An has had about 90 enterprises participating in import-export business activities and investing in the Lao market in the fields of: construction, hydropower, transportation, architecture, mineral exploitation, wood processing and transportation, construction materials trading, consumer goods, long-term industrial tree planting and international tourism tour exploitation... with a total investment capital of more than 200 million USD in projects.

In 2015, up to November, there were 98,063 people entering and exiting the country with passports, 38,152 people entering and exiting the border area, 15,948 vehicles and tens of thousands of tons of goods, thousands of cubic meters of wood cleared through Nam Can border gate. Nghe An exported to the Lao market 33.7 million USD (including petroleum, cement, construction steel, tiles, roofing sheets of all kinds), imported 56.62 million USD (sawn timber, round timber, scrap iron, scrap plastic and some agricultural products).

The Vinh - Vientiane, Vinh - Phonsavan, Vinh - Thakhek, Vinh - Luang Prabang bus routes are increasingly crowded with passengers, with 7 fixed routes, frequency of 158 trips/month. The number of Lao tourists visiting President Ho Chi Minh's homeland, vacationing at Cua Lo beach resort and visiting scenic spots in Nghe An is increasing. In 2015, the number of Lao and Thai tourists to Nghe An reached over 7,000.

Delegation of officials from the Central Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association and Nghe An pay tribute at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Savannakhet (Laos). Photo: Kim Don

Tourists from Nghe An visiting the Plain of Jars, the capital Vientiane, the ancient capital Luang Prabang, Uncle Ho's memorial site in Nong Boc - Khammouane and other scenic spots in Laos have also increased significantly. Many localities in the province have expanded services in Laos, typically Dien Thap commune, Dien Chau district. Regarding air transport, they have coordinated to exploit the international flight route from Vinh to Vientiane with a frequency of 3 flights/week.

Regarding education and training, Nghe An helps train cadres for Lao provinces at a cost of 6 billion VND/year. In 2015 - 2016, it received 97 cadres and students from Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Vientiane, and Khammouane provinces to study Vietnamese at Nghe An Pedagogical College. 472 Lao cadres and students are studying at Vinh University, Vinh Medical University, Vinh Technical Pedagogical University, Nghe An University of Economics, and Vietnam - Korea Industrial Technical Vocational College. This is a quality source of additional cadres for the current and future leadership and economic and technical cadres of Laos. Along with that, Nghe An has opened Lao language classes for state officials, ethnic minority cadres, border guards, and businessmen cooperating with Laos.

In particular, the Party's foreign affairs and people's foreign affairs are focused and strengthened by the province. The exchange of high-level delegations, the signing of cooperation agreements, creating the basis and favorable conditions for the Party's delegations, bases, departments, branches, mass mobilization blocs and localities of the two sides to regularly exchange and learn from each other's experiences. The Fatherland Front, Youth Union, Veterans Association, and Women's Association of Nghe An have friendly exchanges with the two provinces of Xieng Khouang and Luang Prabang. Volunteer students of Vinh University go to Phonsavan to teach Vietnamese and exchange culture and arts with Lao youth and students...

Representatives of the special working group of Vientiane province transferred the remains of martyrs who died in Laos to Do Luong District Cemetery for burial. Photo: Kim Don

In 2015, Nghe An received the remains and held a memorial service for the heroes and martyrs at the cemetery of Do Luong district, expressing gratitude "When drinking water, remember its source" for the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the noble international revolutionary cause. The activities to commemorate Uncle Ho at the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site in Noong Boc - Khammouane, revisiting the old battlefield in Laos by former volunteer soldiers and experts of Nghe An, and participating in the 66th anniversary of the Vietnam - Laos Solidarity Alliance, were truly meaningful in encouraging and educating the spirit of international solidarity for the young generations of the two countries.

In 2015, Nghe An province and other provinces sharing the border further strengthened the friendship and comprehensive cooperation, deepened it and achieved practical results. The two sides closely coordinated in border patrols; actively protected the Vietnam-Laos border marker system in the field, prevented illegal migration, encroachment, illegal marriages; illegal proselytizing; stored, traded, transported narcotics and banned goods across the border; replanted opium; prevented and defeated all plots of hostile forces to sabotage and divide the solidarity between Vietnam and Laos; propagated and mobilized people to strictly implement the Agreement on Border Regulations between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic; organized twinning between districts and districts, villages and villages (18 pairs of villages, 6 stations and stations) on both sides of the border.

Leaders of Military Hospital 4 give gifts to people of Thoong Pe village, Cam Cot district, Bolikhamxay province (August 2015). Photo: Huu Muoi

The Nghe An Border Guard medical team provided free medical examinations and medicine to the people of Nam Tay village, Vieng Phan village cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos). Photo: Hai Thuong

The Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association publishes the quarterly "Vietnam - Laos Friendship" newsletter; coordinates with the provincial Radio and Television Station, Nghe An Newspaper to make reports, publish many news and articles; coordinates with Vinh University, Vinh Medical University to organize Bunpimay festival and exchange activities "Cultivating Vietnam - Laos Friendship". Former volunteer soldiers, experts, and members contribute documents and artifacts to the gallery of the life and career of comrade Kaysone Phomvihane at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum.

In addition, Nghe An province also has many social activities and investments to support Lao provinces, especially those sharing the border. The Provincial People's Committee supported Xieng Khouang province to complete the construction of the provincial cultural house with a budget of 1,982,000 USD, provided rice seeds, corn seeds and NPK fertilizers to build an intensive agricultural model; helped Hua Phan province design the Sam Tay route to Thong Thu - Que Phong border gate; advised on investing in the construction of a 90 km long route from Thanh Thuy border gate to Pacxan - Bolykhamxay. Nghe An and Lao provinces continue to cooperate in developing the Mekong River region and the East - West economic corridor.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Day of the Lao PDR, reviewing the glorious journey of the Vietnam - Laos solidarity and cooperation in the renovation period, we are happy and proud of the great victories that the Lao ethnic people have strived to achieve over the past 40 years and consider them as our own victories. The people of Nghe An province vow, together with our close Lao comrades and brothers, to do our utmost to foster the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos to a new level, forever green, forever sustainable.

Congratulations to the Lao ethnic people, under the wise leadership of the Central Executive Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, headed by General Secretary and President Choummaly Saynhaxone, on continuing to achieve even greater new achievements, welcoming the 10th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the Socio-Economic Development, National Defense and Security Plan to 2020, successfully building the beautiful Champa country of "Peace - Independence - Unity - Democracy and Prosperity".

Le Xuan Dai

Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province