The Defence Ministry of Laos held a meeting in Vientiane on December 22 to mark the 70 th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).

Secretary of the Lao Party Central Committee and Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Sengnoun Saynhalat recalled the 70-year history of the VPA which was founded and trained by late President Ho Chi Minh.

Over the past seven decades, the Vietnamese army has made a lot of glorious victories, including the 1954 Dien Bien Phu triumph over the French forces, the “Dien Bien Phu in the air” campaign to safeguard Hanoi capital in 1972 and the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign that liberated the south and unified the country in 1975, the minister said.

He reminded participants of the close coordination of the two armies during wartime, showing his profound gratitude to the VPA for helping Laos in the past struggle for liberation as well as the current national construction and development.

He said he believes that in the time to come the two armies will continue intensifying cooperation to become stronger, thus contributing to consolidating and developing the Laos-Vietnam traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.-VNA