Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang and Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos, in Vientiane on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photos Đỗ Bá Thành

VIENTIANE — Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang met with leaders of Laos in Vientiane on Tuesday on the occasion of attending the 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus).

Making a courtesy call on the General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Minister Giang congratulated Laos on the success of its ASEAN chairmanship in 2024 with many important meetings. Việt Nam continues its support for Laos during this crucial year, he said.

He also briefed the Lao leader on the current situation in Việt Nam and the results of cooperation between the two countries' defence ministries.

The Lao leader appreciated the meeting between the two countries' defence ministers, expressing satisfaction with the development of their bilateral cooperation.

Affirming that defence is a key pillar of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Việt Nam, Sisoulith urged the two defence ministries to continue to coordinate for the effective implementation of cooperation protocols, programmes and plans. He also stressed the need to widely disseminate the historical and strategic importance of Laos-Việt Nam special relations in the armed forces.

On the same day, Giang also met with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, who stressed that defence cooperation is always one of the pillars of Laos-Việt Nam relations and affirmed that strengthening this cooperation remains a priority for Laos.

Vietnamese defence minister Phan Văn Giang meets Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane on Tuesday.

Minister Giang reaffirmed the importance Việt Nam attaches to preserving and deepening the special and unwavering relations between the two nations. He thanked Laos for its assistance in searching for, collecting and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Laos during the war.

He informed the Lao PM of the cooperation between the two defence ministries in the recent past, highlighting the success of the second Việt Nam-Laos border defence friendship exchange last October.

Also on the day, Minister Giang had a meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Chansamone Chanyalath, during which the two sides agreed to closely coordinate to implement the defence cooperation protocol for the 2025-29 period as well as the cooperation plan for 2025.

Vietnamese defence minister Phan Văn Giang meets Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Chansamone Chanyalath in Vientiane on Tuesday.

They pointed to several priorities for bilateral cooperation, including Party's work and communication activities about the historical relations and strategic importance of Việt Nam-Laos ties.

The two ministers agreed to maintain available cooperation mechanisms, such as high-level delegation exchanges and defence policy dialogues at the level of deputy ministers, and intensify joint efforts to address non-traditional security challenges, manage and protect the shared borderline, train human resources and continue to research and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Laos during wartime.

On this occasion, Giang invited Deputy PM and Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath and leaders of the Lao Defence Ministry and the Lao People's Army to attend the 80th founding anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army, the 35th anniversary of the National Defence Day, and the second Việt Nam International Defence Expo slated for mid-December. — VNA/VNS