The special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos stems from the geo-strategic position and cultural identity of the two countries with similarities: Both leaning against the majestic Truong Son mountain range. The people of the two countries are benevolent and tolerant, and the cultures of the two nations have many similarities; with a long tradition of friendly relations, mutual support and assistance, at the end of the 19th century, both were invaded and brutally ruled by the French colonialists.

Leaders of Son La province and Hua Phan province (Lao PDR) visited the Memorial House of the special national relic site of the Vietnam - Laos revolutionary historical relic site.
Photo: PV

The birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930) opened the glorious pages of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos. In October 1930, the Central Executive Committee Conference of the Communist Party of Vietnam decided to change the name of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Indochinese Communist Party. The struggles of the Vietnamese and Lao peoples influenced each other, contributing to the development of the revolutionary movement in each country. The birth of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945) and the Laotian Government (October 12, 1945), along with the two sides' wishes to build a more perfect and solid relationship than before, was one of the foundations for bringing solidarity and mutual assistance to the level of a fighting alliance.

After regaining power, the two governments signed the Laos-Vietnam Mutual Assistance Treaty and the Agreement on the Organization of the Laos-Vietnam Joint Forces, laying the first legal basis for cooperation, assistance and alliance against the common enemy of the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos. On September 23, 1945, the French colonialists opened fire to occupy Saigon, then expanded the war to the entire Indochina. On November 25, 1945, the Central Executive Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party issued the Directive on Resistance and National Construction to direct the national liberation cause of the three Indochinese countries. The Directive advocated: "Unifying the Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos front against French invasion". On October 30, 1949, the Central Executive Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party decided that the Vietnamese military forces sent to perform international missions in Laos would be organized into a separate system and named Volunteer Army.

The Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia People's Alliance was born on the principles of voluntarism, equality, mutual assistance and respect for each other's sovereignty, together to expel the colonialists and imperialists, and gain true independence for the people of Indochina. On May 7, 1954, the Dien Bien Phu stronghold was completely destroyed, forcing the French Government to sit at the negotiating table, so the International Conference on Ending the Indochina War opened in Geneva on May 8, 1954. The other side was forced to sign a joint declaration and agreements with the negotiating parties to end the war in Indochina. France and the countries participating in the Conference pledged to respect the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. That was a very important international legal basis for the people of the three Indochinese countries to move forward to gain independence and complete national unification in each country.

Faced with the new developments of the Lao revolution, the founding congress of the Lao People's Party was held from March 22 to April 6, 1955 in Sam Neua province. From the end of 1958, the US imperialists and their lackeys stepped up their treacherous activities, gradually abolishing the signed national reconciliation treaties to finally blatantly abolish the coalition and national reconciliation government. The Central Conference of the Lao People's Party (June 3, 1959) determined that the revolutionary struggle of the Lao people was moving into a new phase, a phase from mainly legal public struggle to mainly armed struggle, combined with other forms of struggle.

The above victories demonstrated a new level of development for the Lao revolutionary forces, and at the same time affirmed the great strength of the solidarity and fighting relationship between the army and people of Vietnam and Laos, in which Vietnam's most sincere and steadfast affection for the Lao revolutionary cause was expressed, as Comrade Kaysone Phomvihane emphasized in his speech at the meeting between the Lao People's Party and the Vietnam Workers' Party (December 1968): "Vietnam's assistance to the Lao revolution was extremely devoted and selfless, Vietnam helped Laos with both material and blood. The blood and bones of the Vietnamese people dyed red all over Laos for the independence of Laos... Vietnam's assistance to Laos has built a special relationship, which is also the correct application of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism".

The victory of the Vietnamese people in completely liberating the South on April 30, 1975 was the driving force for the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to decide to launch an uprising of the entire Party, people and army in the whole country to seize power and completely win on May 5, 1975. The birth of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on December 2, 1975 was a great and complete victory of the Lao ethnic people, and at the same time an important victory of the special relationship, the alliance of solidarity, loyalty and steadfastness between the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos.

President Ho Chi Minh spoke about the great and profound affection between the two countries: For love, we can climb any mountain/Wave any river/Cross any pass/Vietnam and Laos, our two countries, have a love deeper than the Red River and Mekong River.

Nguyen Thai Ha(Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department)