The 2nd Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense was a great success. The echoes of a series of events that took place in the program still linger in the hearts of delegates, authors, participants, and especially the authorities and people on both sides of the border. Through two times of organization, this activity has contributed to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the forces managing and protecting the Vietnam-Laos border, improving the capacity of combat coordination, maintaining security and order in the border area, and tightening the solidarity between the two countries' military and people to be forever green and everlasting.
General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam and General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Laos visited and presented gifts to Pa Hang Primary and Secondary School, Laos within the framework of the 2nd Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program.
During the 2 days of the program and the series of activities that took place before, the 2nd Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange received great attention from the ethnic people of Son La and Hua Phan provinces, especially in places where the exchange activities took place. At the Long Sap Border Guard Station (Son La Border Guard), the most activities took place such as: saluting the flag, painting the border markers, planting friendship trees; visiting the joint exercise of the two countries' functional forces to handle cross-border crime situations; visiting the Border Guard stations of the two countries; inaugurating school projects in localities on both sides of the border, the authorities and people here shared many feelings for the soldiers, for the work that the soldiers have been doing in this border land.
Mr. Vi Van Phun, Long Sap commune, Moc Chau district, Son La province shared: "For many days now, when we heard the news that the Vietnamese Minister of National Defense came here to welcome the Lao Minister of National Defense to Vietnam to attend the exchange program, our people were very happy and excited. It is truly an honor and pride for the people in Long Sap hometown. For many years now, with the presence of soldiers, the people's lives have improved and changed a lot. This time, we were also given breeding cows by the Border Guard to raise and develop our family economy. We thank the Ministry of National Defense and the Border Guard very much."
As for teachers and students of Long Sap Primary and Secondary Boarding School, the school building includes 12 classrooms, equipped with 30 computers, 30 computer desks and chairs, 240 desks and chairs, and a 2,000m2 playground.2The newly built school, the concrete road leading to the school, the buildings including classrooms, computer rooms, library, toilets and beautiful, modern schoolyard, meeting the teaching and learning needs of the school were inaugurated and handed over, which was an endless happiness. Using the new computer for the first time, Me Van Hung, a student of class 6A happily said: "So my dream has come true. I will be determined to study hard, and in the future become an IT teacher to teach students in my hometown".
The highlight of this exchange program is that the two sides jointly organized a joint exercise to handle cross-border crime situations. The exercise involved many police, military and border guards. This is also a regular coordination activity of the forces in the process of patrolling, controlling and ensuring security and order in the border areas of the two countries. As a direct participant in this joint exercise, Colonel Vong Thon Khan Tha Vong Xa, Deputy Commander of the Hua Phan Provincial Military Command, said: "Through this exercise, we have learned many lessons in managing and preventing cross-border crimes. After the exercise, the solidarity between the border management and protection forces of the two countries has been increasingly enhanced, at the same time helping us gain many useful lessons to support the implementation of the task of managing and protecting the border well."
Sharing after the end of the exercise, Colonel Ban Van Chanh, Deputy Commander of Son La Border Guard, said: "Coordination work in general, especially coordination in preventing and combating drug crimes in particular, in recent times between the Border Guard forces of Son La province (Vietnam) and Hua Phan province (Laos) has been regularly deployed and achieved high efficiency. Both sides have a common perception that a peaceful, friendly and cooperative border is the most favorable condition for people in the border areas of the two countries to have a comprehensive development environment; increasingly closer, together building a peaceful and happy life". With the participation of many forces, Colonel Ban Van Chanh said that the exercise demonstrated the most basic features of coordination between the functional forces of the two sides, an opportunity for the forces to share experiences and understanding, trust each other, in order to continue to coordinate, bringing the highest efficiency in border management and protection as well as fighting and preventing crime.
At the political exchange and young officers of the Vietnam - Laos Army with the theme "Loyalty and Faith", warm stories of humanity were written. That is the image of the Vietnam Border Guard wholeheartedly helping and sponsoring Lao students in difficulty; or the warm handshakes, the affectionate eyes between the functional forces and the people of the two countries... All have created a vivid picture of the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos, affirming the strong vitality of the loyal and steadfast relationship built with the blood and tears of previous generations and continued to be nurtured until today.
Many disadvantaged students of Long Sap district (Son La province, Vietnam) and Sop Bau district (Hua Phan province, Laos) have received scholarships from the program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards" launched and implemented by the Border Guard High Command since 2016.
During the gala night of the art exchange program, comrade Trang Thi Xuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province affirmed: "Foreign affairs is a very important task for Son La province. Up to now, Son La province has signed comprehensive agreements with 9 provinces of Northern Laos with many important contents in all fields... In particular, Son La province focuses on the close relationship with the two neighboring provinces of Hua Phan and Luang Prabang.
The Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee have also assigned tasks to the three forces of the Military, Border Guard and Police in foreign affairs activities, focusing on a number of areas such as: Teaching Vietnamese to Lao friends; training and fostering professional skills for Lao friends; supporting equipment for professional tasks, helping friends with unit economics. In particular, Son La Border Guard has coordinated with the Provincial Police to organize training and fostering professional skills on drug prevention for the Police and Border Guard forces of Lao provinces, which has been recognized and highly appreciated by the Lao side.
Recognizing and appreciating what the Party, State and Vietnam People's Army have given to the people of Laos, at the gala night, Comrade Phut Phan Keo Vong Xay, Deputy Governor of Hua Phan Province emphasized: "The Party, State and Government of Vietnam always pay attention to and support Laos in general and Hua Phan Province in particular in many important projects, thereby helping Hua Phan Province have many projects and infrastructure, promote economic development, and improve people's lives. Some particularly important projects such as: Economic development projects, infrastructure construction in Pha Den, Muong Et, Muong Po, Muong Son clusters...".
It can be affirmed that the 2nd Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program has left many important marks, highlighting the solidarity and friendship between the people and soldiers on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border. Not only in the work of defense, security, crime prevention and control, but also in education, health, economy, culture and society, the "Uncle Ho's soldiers" have been diligently cultivating and expanding in all areas they have set foot in. We believe that in the future, the Vietnam - Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange will continue to be an important bridge to strengthen defense cooperation, contributing to firmly protecting the sovereignty and border security of each country, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Hoang Van