Muong Tip and Muong Ai are two border communes of Ky Son district with many villages perched on the mountain slopes, bordering Laos. There are two pairs of villages on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border that have signed a memorandum of understanding. They are Ta Do village (Muong Tip commune) and Na Muong village (Pha Ven village cluster, Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province, Laos); Loong Ho village (Xam Che cluster, Muong Moc district, Xieng Khouang province) and Huoi Khe village (Muong Ai commune). Of which, Ta Do is the first village in Ky Son district to implement this meaningful policy.
Mr. Luong Xuan Lieu - Secretary of Ta Do village Party Cell recalled that in 2014, the Management Board and people of Ta Do village together with the cadres and people of Na Muong village held a twinning ceremony. Since then, the people of Muong Tip commune and the clusters of villages across the border of Laos have maintained the tradition of visiting relatives and exchanging culture, especially on holidays and Tet. Mr. Lieu, with more than 20 years of experience as Village Chief and Party Cell Secretary, has been invited by Na Muong village to exchange many times. He remembers most the time when he and the delegation of cadres and people of Ta Do village went to the neighboring country to attend the ceremony to receive the title of Na Muong Cultural Village. "The two villages were happy, wished each other well and promised to always maintain the tradition of solidarity, sharing, helping each other, and having a close relationship like brothers in one family" - Mr. Lieu said.
For the past two years, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the movement back and forth has been somewhat limited, but the Ta Do Village Management Board as well as the authorities and people of Muong Tip Commune, Muong Ai Border Guard Station still donated instant noodles, rice, salt, food and medicine to support the people of the neighboring villages across the border. "Now that the Covid-19 epidemic has almost been pushed back, the activities of visiting and exchanging between the people of Ta Do Village and the people of Na Muong Village have resumed" - Mr. Luong Xuan Lieu happily added.
To understand more about the practical and close ties between the people living along the Vietnam - Laos border in Ky Son district, we continued to My Ly commune, one of the areas with many pairs of villages - villages on both sides of the border signed a twinning agreement. Meeting Ms. Vi Thi Hoa - President of the Women's Union of My Ly commune, shaking hands and greeting each other, she and we recalled the joyful memories of the twinning ceremony between the Women's Union of My Ly commune and the Women's Union of Loong Cang village cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Laos) in 2018, which we were invited to attend and report on.
Ms. Hoa said that from 2018 until now, the women's associations of both sides as well as the My Ly commune authorities and the people of the twinned villages with units and clusters of villages of the neighboring country of Laos have regularly visited and kept in close contact as for generations. Currently, My Ly commune has 3 villages signed with the border villages of Laos. These are Cha Nga village with Xop Cang village, Loong Cang village cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Laos); Pha Chieng village with Pung Vai village, Pha Danh village cluster, Muong Quan district; and Nhot Lot village with 3 villages: Tham Khuong, Huoi Ba, Huoi Ngua in Muong Duong village cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Laos). Although affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, people of both sides have limited travel and visits, but they still always exchange information, grasp the situation and encourage each other to overcome difficulties and the epidemic.
It is known that up to now, Ky Son district has had 15 pairs of villages, 2 mass organizations and 3 armed units signing agreements with villages, clusters of villages and units of Laos. Other districts such as Que Phong, Tuong Duong, Thanh Chuong have also effectively implemented Directive No. 04-CT/TW of the Politburo "On continuing to innovate and improve the effectiveness of people's foreign affairs in the new situation", Directive No. 12 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province on organizing the twinning movement between residential clusters (villages - villages) on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border. Up to now, Nghe An province has organized the signing of 21 pairs of villages - villages on both sides of the border. Over the past 10 years, the pairs of villages that "listen to the rooster crowing together in the morning" have organized 187 cultural, artistic, physical education and sports exchanges; organized 367 delegations to visit, give gifts and money on the occasion of holidays and Tet worth 700 million VND. In addition, agencies, units and people on both sides of the border have actively helped each other in propagating the prevention, control and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics with 15 sessions/715 participants, donating nearly 50 million VND and many other necessities. The two sides have promptly informed each other about the epidemic situation in their villages and hamlets and coordinated to prevent it from spreading across the border, regularly organizing visits, providing material support and spiritual encouragement when facing difficulties and misfortunes caused by natural disasters.
In labor and production, people on both sides of the border help each other with very practical actions such as: supporting varieties of plants and animals, providing instructions on disease prevention, exchanging experiences in production and husbandry, applying scientific and technical advances to production and consulting on product consumption to increase income value. Particularly, communes and villages of Nghe An province have helped the opposite villages with materials and funds worth hundreds of millions of VND to buy plants, breeds and cultural institutions; typically the pair of Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district with Nam Tay village, Vieng Phan village cluster of neighboring Laos. To contribute to the consumption of products in the border area including neighboring Laos, Nghe An province has directed the Thanh Chuong district cassava starch factory to invest in cassava raw material areas in Xop Tong village, Nam On village cluster, Xayxamphon district, Bolikhamxay province.
With the motto of "proactive, creative, flexible", in recent years, the Party committees and authorities of the border districts of Nghe An province have actively implemented many practical activities, contributing to preserving and developing the traditional relationship between Nghe An and the border provinces of Laos. A typical example is Ky Son district - a locality with 203.409 km of border adjacent to 4 districts of 3 provinces of Laos. The border area has 56 villages, accounting for 29% of the number of villages in the district, spread over 11 communes; there is Nam Can International Border Gate, Ta Do Sub-border Gate and 30 trails and openings. Secretary of Ky Son District Party Committee Vi Hoe said: As a "gateway", "fence", with the special position of "diplomatic door" of Nghe An province and the whole country, Ky Son district identifies foreign affairs as a key task. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee always thoroughly grasps and assigns communes to regularly exchange information and strengthen all-round connections with Laotian villages to share and support each other for mutual development. In addition, Ky Son district also attaches special importance to people-to-people diplomacy to realize the "3 peace" goal (peace for the people, peace for the area, peace for the border) set forth by the Ky Son District Party Congress, term 2020 - 2025.
During the period from 2011 to present, Ky Son district has continued to strengthen cooperative relations with Noong Het, Muong Mooc, Muong Kham, Muong Pec districts (Xieng Khouang province) and Muong Quan (Hua Phan province) of Laos. Identifying these as traditional partners, the district regularly coordinates with districts and communes of the neighboring country to organize meetings, exchange information, grasp the situation of implementing border agreements, prevent and combat crimes, free migration, illegal marriage in border areas, promptly resolve urgent situations...
In 2022, after a long period of interruption due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, activities between Ky Son district and the border provinces of Laos have begun to restart. Notably, the Nam Can International Border Gate border market reopened on May 1, 2022. Also in May 2022, Ky Son district resumed regular meetings with Noong Het, Muong Moc, Muong Kham districts, Xieng Khouang province and Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province of Laos to discuss the socio-economic development situation, evaluate the results of cooperation in maintaining political security, order, social safety and ensuring border sovereignty. In addition, the district sent 2 working delegations to celebrate Bunpimay in districts in the border provinces of Laos; received 9 delegations from neighboring countries to visit Vietnam. Most recently, on August 10, 2022, the district established a working delegation led by the Secretary of the Ky Son District Party Committee to Noong Het District, Xieng Khouang Province (Laos) to attend the Vietnam - Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 Speech Ceremony...
In Tuong Duong district, which has 59.73 km of border with Laos, in addition to implementing twinning between pairs of villages, the district also creates conditions for people on both sides of the border to visit relatives and exchange goods. Mr. Lo Thanh Nhat - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee said: Closely combining government diplomacy and people's diplomacy, the district People's Committee maintains a good twinning relationship with Vieng Thoong district, Bolikhamxay province and Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province of Laos.
In addition to being twinned with districts across the border, Tuong Duong district is also twinned with a district inland of Laos, which is Muong Kham district of Xieng Khouang province. Muong Kham is not a district close to the Vietnam - Laos border, but it is a locality with the O Du ethnic group like Tuong Duong district. During the period when the Lao Party and people were carrying out the resistance war for national salvation, the Muong Kham district government had a time to evacuate to Vietnam, stationed in Tuong Duong district and received protection and assistance from the Tuong Duong district government and people. Later, with the affection of standing side by side, helping each other during the war, plus the similarity in culture, having the same O Du ethnic group living, the two districts committed to a twinning agreement, cultural exchange...
It can be said that, thanks to the good performance of foreign affairs in general and people-to-people diplomacy in particular in the border districts bordering Laos, it has created a bridge to develop comprehensive cooperation between Nghe An and the provinces of the neighboring country, contributing to strengthening the Vietnam-Laos relationship.“Higher than the mountain, longer than the river, wider than the ocean…”.