Mr Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune (left) and Mr Nguyen Minh Vu sign the minutes of the Laos-Vietnam border meeting.

Laos, Vietnam step up border security, development

Lao and Vietnamese border authorities have agreed to continue patrols of their shared border in a bid to maintain security and promote development in the border area.
The agreement was reached at the 33rd annual meeting of the Laos and Vietnam Border delegations held on December 26 in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam.
The two sides agreed to assign central and provincial border officials to conduct joint border patrols on a regular basis, and enhance the management of border affairs, border markers and border checkpoints.
They also agreed on the need for the maintenance and repair of border markers damaged by extreme weather and those intentionally damaged by hostile elements.
The two sides will also continue to raise awareness among everyone living in the border area about the regulations governing the border and its demarcation, so that local residents play a part in protecting the boundary and border markers. This will also encourage them to play a role in preventing any damaging activities.
The meeting underlined the need to further develop infrastructure to bolster economic, trade, import and export activities, as well as create conditions to enable people to earn a living, and encourage people-to-people links, cross-border trade and more.
The meeting also reviewed the progress made in putting into practice agreements made at the previous meeting.
The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Lao delegation Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Minh Vu.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update December 28, 2023)