Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam held a working session with Sen. Lieut. Gen Vongsone Inpanphim, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Director of the General Political Department of the Lao People's Army in Vientiane on June 4 to accelerate a 500-day campaign to search for, recover, and identify the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who fell in Laos.
Tam laid out the campaign’s goals, requirements, significance, scope, tasks, and timeline.
He expressed gratitude to the Lao Party, State, Army, and people for their tremendous and invaluable support during Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and its ongoing national construction, defence, and development, singling out Laos’ close cooperation and facilitation in the drive.
The effort, he said, is a major policy of the two Parties and States, embodying a shared tradition of gratitude and remembrance and profound respect for those who laid down their lives for national liberation, defence, and noble international duties.
Tam praised the performance of recovery teams fielded by Vietnam’s military zones and local commands during the 2025–2026 dry season, as well as the handover, memorial, and burial ceremonies held across Vietnamese localities in May. He hoped that Lao Party, State, Government, army, and people would continue to direct agencies, organisations, and local authorities to work closely with Vietnamese counterparts on the sacred and noble mission.
Inpanphim, who is also head of the Government’s Special Task Committee, thanked Tam for updating him on the campaign’s progress. He also voiced appreciation for the wholehearted and invaluable support the Vietnamese Party, State, army, and people extended to Laos’ past struggle for independence and freedom, and its current development, including the sacrifices of Vietnamese volunteers and experts in Laos.
He underscored the campaign’s strategic and profound significance, noting that it is not solely a task of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people but also an important responsibility and priority of the Lao Party, State, army, and people.
The Lao Party, State, army and people will spare no effort in directing relevant agencies, units, and local authorities to closely work with the Vietnamese side to ensure the campaign succeeds, he said.
Both sides also discussed opportunities and challenges facing the campaign, as well as future cooperation priorities and tasks./.
