Comrade Vu Hai Ha - Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee - delivered the opening speech at the conference.

Attending the conference were: Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province; members of the Supervisory Delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee; representatives of the National Border Committee, the General Staff of the Vietnam Border Guard; National Assembly delegates and representatives of the leadership of 10 provinces sharing a border with Laos, including: Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam and Kon Tum. In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Vu Hai Ha stated that Vietnam and Laos are two neighboring countries with a long history of close ties, fighting together against foreign invaders to achieve national independence. The two countries share a strategic position and importance for each other's security and development, with a common border nearly 2,340 km long, passing through 10 provinces of Vietnam and 10 provinces of Laos. The border begins at the Vietnam-Laos-China tri-border junction and ends at the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia tri-border junction.

In 2016, the governments of the two countries signed two important legal documents: the Protocol on the border line and border markers between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and the Agreement on the Regulations for Border Management and Land Border Crossings between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Comrade Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, affirmed that international treaties on border and territorial issues between Vietnam and Laos have met the practical needs of border relations between the two countries, effectively managing the border and boundary markers in the new situation. However, the implementation of these legal documents has not been without shortcomings and has not fully resolved newly arising issues. In the context and practical situation of border work in recent times, with a common effort to contribute to protecting the achievements of border demarcation and monument placement, the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee organized a monitoring conference on "The implementation of international treaties on border and territory between Vietnam and Laos" to assess the achievements and shortcomings in the implementation of international treaties on border and territory between Vietnam and Laos. Through this, solutions and recommendations were proposed to improve the effectiveness of border and monument management, contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and long-term developing border between the two countries.

 
Delegates attending the thematic monitoring conference on "The implementation of international treaties on territorial borders between Vietnam and Laos"”

Representing Son La province, Mr. Nguyen Van Chien – Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs – delivered a speech at the conference, reporting on the achievements and some difficulties and obstacles faced by Son La province in implementing international treaties on land border and territory between Vietnam and Laos, and subsequently making proposals and recommendations to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee.

1. We propose that the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee discuss and encourage the Lao side to invest in infrastructure to upgrade the main Pa Háng border gate (Laos) into an international border gate.

2. We request that the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee consider, report to, and propose solutions to the Standing Committee. The National Assembly approved the policy to resolve the difficulties faced by Son La province in using local budget funds to support provinces in neighboring Laos.

3. We propose that the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries and agencies to promptly reach an agreement with the Lao side to issue the forms for exit and entry documents stipulated in Clause 1 - Article 23 of the Agreement on the Management of Borders and Border Gates between Vietnam and Laos; and simultaneously issue detailed regulations and guidelines to ensure effective state management while facilitating border residents of both countries to visit relatives, travel, and conduct trade...

At the conference, delegates heard reports from representatives of the National Border Committee, the General Staff of the Vietnam Border Guard, and leaders of localities sharing a border with Laos on the implementation of international treaties on land borders between Vietnam and Laos.

The delegates unanimously agreed that since the two legal documents on the border officially came into effect, both sides have organized the management and protection of the border based on the results of the work to reinforce and renovate the Vietnam-Laos national border markers. The border situation has been basically maintained and ensured stability. The functional forces of the two countries regularly exchange information, coordinate to resolve border issues quickly, promptly and accurately. The mechanism of border delegations between the two countries has been effectively utilized.

Besides the positive results, the implementation of international agreements on the territorial border between Vietnam and Laos still faces difficulties and limitations, such as: some regulations have not been exchanged and coordinated by the relevant agencies of both sides, such as the agreement on the types of documents that border residents on both sides are allowed to use for entry and exit to the opposite border area; difficulties in funding for repairing and reinforcing border markers and mountain ridges; and limitations in the management and development of border gates due to incompatibility in type and synchronization and connectivity of infrastructure in some pairs of border gates.

Comrade Don Tuan Phong – Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee – delivered the concluding remarks at the conference.

Concluding the conference, Comrade Don Tuan Phong - Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee - emphasized that the positive results in implementing international treaties on border and territorial issues between Vietnam and Laos are the main focus, contributing to building a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and developing border. Acknowledging the recommendations of ministries, sectors, and localities raised at the conference, the Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee also stated that after the conference, the Foreign Affairs Committee will prepare a monitoring report on this matter to be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the National Assembly, and the Government.

Le Huy Hoang