Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái and his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith and chiefs of villages along border of both countries at the conference held in Nghệ An Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Tá Chuyên

NGHỆ AN — A conference to raise knowledge about policies and laws related to the Việt Nam-Laos border took place on Tuesday in the central province of Nghệ An, with nearly 200 village chiefs from 20 border provinces of both nations.

Addressing the function, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái and his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith said via practical acts, the chiefs and reputable people in border villages have made significant contributions to protecting the areas, and border markers and sustaining peace and security there.

They stressed the dissemination of information on related treaties, international agreements and legal documents is key to the effectiveness of the border work between the countries.

Deputy PM Khái stressed that there are hardly any other bilateral ties as pure and noble as Việt Nam-Laos friendship in the history of international relations, and the establishment of a border of friendship, peace and stability, cooperation and sustainable development is an important agenda that the two countries always pay attention to and facilitate.

The officials said they believe participants will disseminate what they have learned when they return to their villages and continue their good work in guiding and encouraging local people to respect the nations’ laws, especially regarding border-related marriages, immigration, and cultivation issues.

Bùi Đình Long, deputy chairman of Nghệ An Province's People's Committee, said at the meeting that Nghệ An Province has a border of nearly 470km, adjacent to three provinces with Laos. People on both sides of the border are mainly ethnic minorities, with long-standing ethnic, kinship and family ties.

After nearly 10 years of implementing a memorandum of understanding on coordination in organising the movement of twinning groups of population (hamlets - villages) on both sides of the border with three provinces of Laos, there have been 21 village pairs, eight pairs of border stations, Long noted.

In addition to presenting reports and discussing information at the conference, participants joined cultural exchange events and toured popular tourist and historical sites in Nghệ An. — VNS