Vietnam, Laos agree to strengthen security cooperation

Politburo member and Minister of Public Security of Vietnam General To Lam hosted a welcoming ceremony for a high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of Public Security of the Lao People's Democratic Republic led by Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security General Vilay Lakhamphong, on the afternoon of October 25, in Hanoi.

After the welcoming ceremony, Minister To Lam and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Vilay Lakhamphong co-chaired a meeting to review the results of the implementation of the 2022 Cooperation Plan and sign the 2023 Cooperation Plan between the two ministries.

Regarding the results in the implementation of the 2022 Cooperation Plan, Minister To Lam said that in cooperation in protecting national security, the two sides had implemented plans to ensure security and safety for important political events and key establishments in the two countries while coordinating closely in safeguarding national security of each country as well as in maintaining security and order along the shared borderlines.

Recently, the two sides successfully organized the 12th Vietnam - Laos Security Cooperation Conference in Laos, organized a professional consultation on security and signed a regulation on coordination between the security forces of the two countries, creating an important premise and legal basis for the Public Security Forces of the two countries to expand cooperation in the future.

The two sides also held a meeting and reached agreement on enhancing cooperation in crime prevention between the police forces of Vietnam and Laos.

On the basis of the good traditional friendship between the two ministries and in the spirit of mutual support, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam has helped the Ministry of Public Security of Laos build a number of key projects in 2022, including the project to build stations for the Laotian police units along the shared border.

Regarding cooperation in 2023, Minister To Lam suggested that the two sides should continue to effectively implement the deals signed by the two sides as well as international agreements to which the two sides are members, step up negotiations on the signing of an agreement on extradition and an agreement on mutual protection and exchange of classified information between the two governments.

The two ministries should direct their subordinate agencies and units to implement the border agreement signed the two governments by ensuring security and order so as to build a Vietnam-Laos border line of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

At the end of the meeting, Vietnamese Minister of Public Security To Lam and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamphong signed a cooperation plan for 2023 between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Security of Laos.