The 6th Vietnam–Laos Defence Policy Dialogue took place in the central city of Da Nang on April 3, underscoring the commitment to deepening bilateral defence cooperation amid evolving regional and global security challenges.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, and Sen. Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army.
In his remarks, Thang highlighted the significance of the event in concretising the common perception reached by the two countries’ Politburos and senior leaders, as well as implementing the bilateral defence cooperation protocol for 2025–2029 and the 2026 cooperation plan between the two ministries.
He commended the outcomes of defence cooperation in recent years, noting close coordination and effective implementation of the protocol and annual plans.
The two sides also valued their effective coordination in border management and protection, which has maintained security, order and safety along the shared border while facilitating socio-economic development for border communities. Cooperation in searching for, repatriating, and identifying the remains of volunteer Vietnamese soldiers and experts who died in Laos during wartime was also highlighted as a meaningful humanitarian effort.
They reaffirmed the importance of promoting communication and education on the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, particularly through joint activities marking major anniversaries of the two nations and their armed forces.
Looking ahead, the two sides agreed to enhance practical and effective cooperation, focusing on delegation exchanges, maintaining consultation and dialogue mechanisms, especially the Defence Policy Dialogue, and promoting existing cooperation models such as exchanges among young officers, military women, twinning programmes between military units and local communities, and annual conferences between military regions, and border guard forces of the two countries.
They also pledged to strengthen border cooperation through information sharing, joint patrols and grassroots-level coordination to promptly address emerging issues, while expanding collaboration in training and human resources development to improve the quality of personnel.
In addition, both sides will continue to accelerate efforts to search for and repatriate the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers in Laos, while deepening cooperation not only bilaterally but also trilaterally among the armed forces of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
On this occasion, Thang invited leaders from Lao Ministry of Defence attend and send defence enterprises to participate in the third Vietnam International Defence Expo 2026 scheduled for this December./.
