Chairman of the VPA’s General Department of Politics Gen. Luong Cuong (second, left) and Chairman of the LPA’s General Department of Politics Lt. Gen. Thongloi Silivong (third, left) review the guard of honour at the welcome ceremony in Hanoi on March 19 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Heads of the general departments ofpolitics of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the Lao People’s Army (LPA)held talks in Hanoi on March 19, sharing the view that cooperation between thetwo armies has become a pillar in their countries’ relations.
The event was part of an official visit toVietnam from March 18 to 22 by a high-ranking delegation of the LPA led by Lt.Gen. Thongloi Silivong – member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party CentralCommittee, Deputy Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the LPA’s GeneralDepartment of Politics.
At the talks, Gen. Luong Cuong – Secretary ofthe Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, member of the CentralMilitary Commission’s Standing Board, and Chairman of the VPA’s GeneralDepartment of Politics – said the LPA delegation’s visit that shortly followedan official trip to Laos by Party General Secretary and President of VietnamNguyen Phu Trong will help realise high-level agreements of the two countries.It will also contribute to the time-tested friendship, special solidarity andcomprehensive cooperation between the two countries’ Parties, States, armies,and people.
[Infographics: Vietnam - Laos special solidarity]
Reviewing their general departments’ ties, theofficers said bilateral cooperation has been carried out in a result-orientedmanner, especially experience sharing, personnel training, mutual visits at alllevels, cultural exchanges, and repatriation of remains of Vietnam’s volunteersoldiers and experts in Laos.
Thongloi Silivong affirmed the importance of theVietnam-Laos defence cooperation, voicing his belief that the armies’ soundrelations will solidify the trust and all-round links between the twocountries, thus helping to ensure political security, peace, stability anddevelopment in each nation.
At the talks, both sides agreed to increasecooperation in training Lao military officers and students at schools andacademies of the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence. They will assist each other incommunications activities to popularise the traditional friendship, specialsolidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
The search for and repatriation of remains ofVietnam’s volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos willbe accelerated. Meanwhile, mutual visits, cultural and sports exchanges, andthe pairing of military units will also be maintained, they added.-VNA
VNA
