Vietnam-Lao border gets a facelift: conference

Nghe An (VNA) – Vietnam and Laos have addressed all issues relating to their common border and reached consensus on border demarcation on documents and maps, and in the field.

These were among the results of border marker planting and upgrading between Vietnam and Laos highlighted at a conference jointly held by the National Border Committee (NBC) and the steering committees for border marker planting of the central provinces of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh on August 4.

Vietnam and Laos share a border of more than 2,300 km that runs through ten Vietnamese provinces, including Nghe An whose six districts border three provinces of Laos.

The two countries have delimited their border by 834 markers and 168 stakes, heard the conference in Vinh city, Nghe An province.

Representatives of the provinces briefed the conference on border marker planting and upgrading in their localities, saying the work has given a facelift to the shared border, facilitating the two countries’ border management.

They also pointed to challenges hampering the efforts such as unfavourable terrain and weather conditions, bombs and mines remaining from war along the border, and hostile forces’ sabotage.

The conference also implemented legal documents on border management reached by the two countries from 1977 to 2013, including the Agreement on Border Demarcation, the Protocol on Border Demarcation and Marker Planting, and the Agreement on National Border Regulations, among others.

To better manage the border in the new context, the NBC requested the localities to thoroughly grasp and seriously realise the Party and State’s viewpoints and guidelines on national border and territory, while raising public awareness of the work as well as border relations between Vietnam and Laos.

The localities, which share border with Laos, should coordinate with Lao competent agencies to effectuate the Agreement on National Border Regulations and protect the border and border markers, it said.

The committee also suggested the two sides conduct joint patrols and organise regular meetings at all-levels to share information.

Concerted efforts are needed in thwarting hostile forces’ plots, fighting cross-border crimes and enhancing cooperation in socio-economic infrastructure development, especially transport routes and border gates in border localities, it noted.-VNA