On the morning of December 18, General Phan Van Giang, Vietnam’s Minister of National Defense, hosted a welcoming ceremony and held talks with Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone, Laos’ Minister of National Defense, during his first official visit to Vietnam in this role.

General Phan Van Giang, on behalf of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, congratulated Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone on his recent appointment as Laos’ Minister of National Defense by the Party and State of Laos.

The Vietnamese Defense Minister expressed confidence that, under his leadership, the Lao People’s Army would continue to develop and strengthen bilateral military cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

General Phan Van Giang congratulated Laos on successfully hosting the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), the ADMM-Plus, and related events during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024. These achievements bolstered ASEAN unity and elevated Laos' international stature.

He also thanked Laos for accepting Vietnam’s invitation to attend the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024 and the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA). Laos’ participation, including showcasing defense products at the exhibition, reflects the solidarity between the two nations and contributes to the success of the events.

Senior Lieutenant General Khamliang Outhakaysone extended congratulations to the VPA on its 80th anniversary and expressed his admiration for its continued growth and achievements. He emphasized that this visit, his first as Minister of National Defense, underscores the importance Laos places on its special friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam.

Defense cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has achieved significant, practical results and is a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. Over five years of implementing the 2020-2024 defense cooperation agreement, both sides have made substantial progress.

General Phan Van Giang noted the growing strategic trust and solidarity between the two nations’ armies, strengthened through diverse and increasingly effective cooperation mechanisms. Key achievements include:

Border security: Enhanced collaboration has ensured stability and order along the shared border; Human resource training: Both the quality and quantity of training programs have improved.

Defense capability building: Focused investments in defense and defense industry capacities have yielded promising results.

The two ministries also successfully organized the second Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange in October, fostering mutual support and solidarity between the Parties, States, armies, and local communities of both nations.

General Phan Van Giang proposed prioritizing the effective implementation of the 2025-2029 Defense Cooperation Protocol and the 2025 Cooperation Plan. He emphasized expanding exchanges, enhancing the Defense Policy Dialogue mechanism, and strengthening cooperation in political and party work.

Both nations should also boost multilateral defense collaboration, maintain the annual meeting mechanism for the defense ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and improve human resource training and border management efforts.

At the conclusion of their talks, the two defense ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on military and defense legislation cooperation.