Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. Tô Lâm met General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Laos' capital city Vientiane on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

VIENTIANE — Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. Tô Lâm paid courtesy calls to General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, and Prime Minister of the country Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane on Friday.

The meetings were part of an official visit to Laos by a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The delegation also attended the inauguration ceremony of the Academy of Politics of the Lao People's Public Security, a gift from the Vietnamese Government and MPS to the Lao MPS.

Lam thanked the Lao leaders for creating conditions for the Vietnamese MPS and its Laos counterpart to cooperate closely and effectively in fighting crimes and safeguarding security and order in each country.

He informed his hosts about the two ministries’ cooperation results and the outcomes of their talks held earlier the same day.

The Vietnamese official noted the two ministries have affirmed that security-defence cooperation remains one of the three pillars of the countries’ relations, and that they will stay determined and persistent to guarantee peace, stability and development along the Việt Nam-Laos border.

The two sides also stated that one country’s security is also the other’s. Việt Nam and Laos will not allow hostile, opposition, and reactionary forces to take advantage of this country’s territory to sabotage the other or drive a wedge into bilateral relations. They will also work closely in preventing and fighting “colour revolution”, “peace evolution”, and transnational crimes, according to Lâm.

Both General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and PM Sonexay Siphandone spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation results between the two ministries, especially the coordination in building the Academy of Politics of the Lao People's Public Security.

The General Secretary and President of Laos expressed his hope that the two countries’ public security forces will keep promoting comprehensive cooperation in the time ahead to meet requirements and fulfil tasks in the new context for the sake of the two peoples, regional and global peace, stability and development, as well as the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Laos.

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. Tô Lâm and Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone had talks on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

Meanwhile, PM Siphandone asked the two forces to further enhance cooperation in combating transnational crimes, drug crimes, human trafficking, and hi-tech crimes. He also told them to coordinate closely to ensure absolute security and safety in 2024, when Laos will hold the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Earlier on September 29, the Vietnamese MPS delegation held talks with its Lao counterpart, led by Deputy PM and Minister Gen. Vilay Lakhamphong.

The two sides highly valued the implementation results of the 2023 cooperation plan, especially in guaranteeing national security and fighting transnational and drug crimes. They emphasised that amid complex and unpredictable developments in the region and the world, Vietnam and Laos should continue upholding their great and traditional friendship to surmount difficulties and develop further for regional peace and security, along with the two peoples’ prosperity and happiness.

Concluding the talks, the Vietnamese minister and the Lao Deputy PM and Minister of Public Security signed the cooperation plan for 2024. — VNS