Nghe An (VNA) – A ground-breaking ceremony for a border guard coordination station was held on July 9 in Nam On village, Xaichamphon district of Laos' Bolikhamsai province as part of the third Vietnam–Laos Border Defence Friendship Exchange.
The event was attended by General Phan Van Giang, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, and his Lao counterpart General Khamliang Outhakaysone.
The station, funded and built by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence as a gift to Laos, is intended to strengthen coordination between border guard forces, reaffirming solidarity between the two countries.
The facility will serve as a permanent coordination hub for the two countries' border forces in information sharing, joint patrols, immigration control, crime prevention, and the handling of incidents along the shared border. It is also expected to help maintain a peaceful and stable environment conducive to socio-economic development in border areas.
It is designed to include a two-storey building comprising office space and an assembly hall, accommodation for officers and soldiers, a canteen, a logistics warehouse, and supporting infrastructure.
With a total investment of about 30 billion VND (1.14 million USD), the project is expected to be completed by November 2027.
The station will improve working and living conditions for officers and soldiers of Border Company 252 of Bolikhamsai province and provide a foundation for enhancing bilateral coordination in safeguarding border sovereignty and security.
Lieut. Col. Lamphan Lorvanleuang, Deputy Chief of the Staff Office of the Bolikhamsai provincial Military Command, expressed his deep appreciation for the Vietnamese side's support, saying the project carries not only material significance but also symbolises the enduring solidarity and close ties between the two Parties, States and armies.
Lamphan affirmed that the provincial Military Command would work closely with relevant agencies to ensure the project is implemented on schedule and to a high standard, enabling it to operate effectively upon completion.
He also pledged that Lao authorities would continue close coordination with their Vietnamese counterparts in border management and protection, contributing to building a shared border of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development./.
Vietnam, Laos strengthen border defence friendship
At Border Marker No. 460, the two defence ministers jointly took part in the traditional ceremony of repainting the marker. Beyond its symbolic significance, the ceremony reflected the determination of the two Parties, States and armed forces to safeguard every marker of national sovereignty, preserve the achievements of border demarcation and marker planting, and develop the Vietnam–Laos border into a symbol of peace, stability, cooperation and development.
