Close friendship between Vietnam and Laos

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 people of Lao ethnic groups 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, the National Day of the Lao people.

The authorities, agencies, units and people of the provinces on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border through Nghe An and the neighboring provinces summarize the movement of coordination and twinning to build a peaceful and friendly border. Photo courtesy of Le Thach

The brotherly relationship between the two nations has been formed and developed along with the long history of building and defending the country. In particular, the good traditional relationship and the loyal attachment between the people of the two countries were laid down by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong, and have been diligently cultivated by generations of leaders of the two Parties, States and peoples, tempered through many challenges and forged by the efforts and blood of many generations of heroic martyrs, becoming invaluable assets of the two nations.

58 years ago, the resistance war against the US for national salvation of the Vietnamese and Lao people entered a difficult and fierce period. However, 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 great 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 deeply, the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation on July 18, 1977. Over the past forty-three 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 national construction and defense.

Up to now, there have been 21 pairs of villages and 8 twinned stations between the provinces on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border through Nghe An and neighboring provinces (Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang), bringing about good results in terms of economy, culture and border security. Photo courtesy of Le Thach

Looking back on the past, Nghe An province is proud to have contributed to enhancing the traditional relationship between the two countries, together with the provinces of our brotherly Laos (Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang).

During the years of resistance, with noble, pure, and loyal international sentiment, many children of Nghe An put aside personal feelings, for the greater good, left their homeland to go to Laos to fight together against the common enemy to gain independence and freedom for the two nations. When peace was restored, hundreds of experts and thousands of cadres of Nghe An province continued to go to neighboring provinces of Laos to help overcome the consequences, heal the wounds of war, rebuild works serving socio-economic development, and consolidatedefense - security.

The Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province, established 53 years ago, has 12 member associations and more than 4,000 members. The association coordinates with universities, colleges and Hung Dung, Truong Thi, Cua Nam wards, Vinh city to organize family ties between members and Lao students. The association organizes for Nghe An Experts Association, former volunteer soldiers and military experts to receive commemorative medals and visit old battlefields; publishes the Vietnam - Laos Newsletter and the book "Vietnam - Laos Friendship Song". The Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province is honored to be voted as the excellent association in 2020 by the Union of Friendship Organizations of Nghe An province.

Up to now, the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Nghe An and Lao provinces have been constantly consolidated, maintained and developed, especially the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy with the provinces of Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Vientiane, Xayxombung, Kham Muon and Xavannakhet have become increasingly effective, in-depth and achieved many outstanding results. Delegations visiting, working, studying and exchanging experiences with each other have been organized regularly and diversely, from the provincial, department, sector to district levels. In particular, the regime of rotating high-level talks and signing of memorandums of understanding at the provincial level; border, military and police exchanges, and periodic exchanges between districts along the border have been well maintained and effective.
Regarding people's diplomacy, border districts coordinate withBorder Guardmobilize people not to migrate freely; not to marry without a legal marriage; not to preach illegally; not to use, buy, sell, transport, or possess drugs and prohibited goods; not to replant opium poppies; not to listen to the enemy's bad arguments; to protect national border markers, properly implement the Border Agreement, and build the border.Vietnam - Laospeace, friendship, cooperation, development

Currently, the western border of the province has 8 border posts signed agreements with 8 border protection units of Laos. This activity has contributed to firmly protecting the sovereignty of each side, building a peaceful, friendly and developed border. Photo courtesy of Le Thach

Movementoriginal - originalBorder posts on both sides of the border are constantly developing. Up to now, there have been 21 pairs of villages and 8 twin posts, bringing about good economic, cultural andborder security.

Implementing the program "Helping children go to school", units in the Provincial Border Guard are sponsoring 17 Lao students with a support level of 500,000 VND/child/month.
In the fight against Covid-19, Nghe An province has donated medical equipment and food worth 1.8 billion VND to Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan and Bolikhamxay provinces. The provincial Border Guard, provincial military, provincial police and border districts donated funds and materials worth 2 billion VND to help border provinces and Lao border guards. Currently, Nghe An province is preparing to continue supporting food and medical supplies worth 1 billion VND to Hua Phan, Bolikhamxay and Xieng Khouang provinces to fight against Covid-19.

In particular, many important projects and works in the fields of economy, culture, education, health, and transportation have been implemented, such as: Organizing the supplement of documents and upgrading the Gallery of the Life, Biography, and Career of President Kaysone Phomvihane at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, towards the 100th anniversary of the President's birth (December 13, 1920 - December 13, 2020); Nghe An province supported the construction of Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital (aid capital from the Vietnamese Government) and provided medical equipment and expertise in ultrasound, emergency resuscitation, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic trauma, ENT; prepared a pre-feasibility study report on the Thanh Thuy - Pacxan road in Bolikhamxay province; built the Nam On Military and Civilian Medical Station in Bolikhamxay province; examined and treated people in Lao border districts, etc.

Currently, there are about 90 Nghe An enterprises directly investing and doing effective business in the Lao market with a total capital of over 200 million dollars.

In the field of education and culture, Nghe An attaches great importance to cooperation in training and developing human resources for Lao provinces. In the 2019-2020 school year, universities and colleges in Nghe An province received 111 cadres and students to study Vietnamese, trained 88 university students in various fields, 06 graduate students and 01 doctoral student. Every year, Nghe An province allocates 6.5 billion VND from the budget to support training for Laos. Nghe An province donated 2,000 books to Xieng Khouang Provincial Library; supported cultural institutions for border clusters.

People's exchange program and art performance with the theme "Loyalty and loyalty between Eastern Truong Son and Western Truong Son" held in Nghe An. Photo courtesy of Thanh Le

The 45th anniversary of the National Day of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is an occasion to once again deeply affirm the rare exemplary, loyal, pure and sustainable relationship among nations in the world. That extremely close relationship, in times of difficulty, is multiplied by a deep spirit of sharing.

Nghe An province always stands side by side with the Lao people, striving to build two countries that are constantly developing; continuing to contribute to bringing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam - Laos, Nghe An - Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, and Hua Phan to new heights, forever green, forever sustainable.