The 21st meeting between the Vietnamese-Lao border delegations took place in Hanoi on Dec. 24 and 25.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Vietnam National Border Committee Ho Xuan Son, and the Lao delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Laos-Vietnam Border Committee Bounkeut Sangsomsak.

The two sides agreed that they have coordinated well in the implemention of the Vietnam-Laos agreement on national border regulations, the minutes of the previous meeting and other relevant agreements.

The border situation was stable with social security and order maintained, facilitating local socio-economic development and consolidating the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, they said.

However, they underlined the need for closer coordination between the two countries’ ministries, branches and localities in settling existing issues in border management.

The two sides discussed and reached consensus on cooperation in cross-border travel management, facilitating border trade development, settling free migration issues and unregistered marriages in the border areas.

They committed to speeding up the implementation of a project to increase and upgrade border landmarks and create a protocol to recognise the results of border landmark, planting when completeing the work by 2014.

The two sides agreed to jointly organise activities to mark the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos national border demarcation agreement./.