Vietnam, Laos to boost defense cooperation

On Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a ceremony to welcome Suvon Luongbunmi and the high-ranking military delegation of Laos. The PM urged the two sides to strengthen their coordination in protecting their shared borderline to prevent cross-border crime, particularly drug-related crime.

On the same day, the Lao military officers paid a courtesy call to Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich. At the talks, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in training Lao military students and officers in Vietnam. Vietnam and Laos will also coordinate to speed up the search and repatriation of the remains of the Vietnamese soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos during the wartime.