Vietnam, Laos applaud defence ties

At a reception with Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, both sides hailed the cooperation between the two countries' defence ministries and believed the ties would continue to be strengthened to become an important pillar in relations between the two countries.

Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Defence Minister Do Ba Ty talked with Laotian Deputy Defence Minister Souvone Luongbounmy in Vientiane hailing the positive outcomes between the two countries’ defence ministries in the past year. Both sides acknowledged the efficient implementation of the one-stop-shop model at the Lao Bao -Densavan border gates and co-operation in personnel training. They have also worked together on searching and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese and Lao voluntary soldiers in their respective countries. As Laos will chair ASEAN in 2016, the Vietnamese defence ministry has set up a working group tasked with sharing experiences and assisting Laos in organising the bloc’s security and defence conferences.