On this occasion, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh spoke to the press about the significance of the visit, the key contents of the conference and expectations for legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries in the near future.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh emphasised that legal and judicial cooperation has always been promoted by the two Parties, both States and both Ministries of Justice, becoming one of the priority areas of cooperation between the two countries.
The Ministries of Justice of Viet Nam and Laos have maintained close, regular coordination through signing and implementing bilateral cooperation documents, creating a stable, long‑term, effective and high‑quality legal framework for specific cooperative activities between the two sides in each phase and on an annual basis.
At present, the two ministries have signed and are implementing a number of important bilateral documents such as the cooperation agreement on law and justice for the 2026–2030 period; the Viet Nam–Laos agreement on mutual judicial assistance in civil matters; and the 2026 cooperation programme.
Legal and judicial cooperation has always been promoted by the two Parties, both States and both Ministries of Justice, becoming one of the priority areas of cooperation between the two countries.
Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh
In that context, the Lao Ministry of Justice’s visit to Viet Nam and participation in the seventh justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces is of great significance.
This activity aims to consolidate and strengthen cooperation on law and justice between Viet Nam and Laos; to further deepen the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between the two Parties, the two States and the peoples.
At the same time, it is an opportunity for the two ministries to enhance cooperation in the field of law and justice by exchanging measures to improve the effectiveness of implementing the 2026–2030 Cooperation Agreement and the 2026 Cooperation Programme. According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh, the Ministries of Justice of Viet Nam and Laos officially established the justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces in 2011.
To date, the two sides have successfully co‑organised six biennial conferences, which were held alternately in Viet Nam and Laos. The results achieved through these conferences have helped to strengthen the exchange of experience, coordinate the direct handling of legal issues arising in practice, and consolidate the legal foundation for maintaining stability, preserving security, promoting socio‑economic development and fostering people‑to‑people exchanges in the border areas of the two countries.
The 7th conference is being held in Hai Phong city with the participation of around 160 delegates, of whom roughly 100 are from Viet Nam and about 60 from Laos.
Delegates at the conference focus on summarising and assessing the implementation of the Conclusions of the 6th Conference; and on agreeing directions to strengthen legal and judicial cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao border provinces and between the two Ministries of Justice in the period ahead.
Delegates will hold in‑depth exchanges and share experience in implementing several areas of local judicial work such as judicial assistance; management of nationality and civil status; civil enforcement; dissemination and legal education; and legal aid for people living in the border areas of the two countries.
The Conference will also feature cultural, sporting and exchange activities, helping to enhance mutual understanding and bonds among judicial officers of the two countries.
The two sides will discuss measures to improve the effectiveness of implementing the 2026–2030 Cooperation Agreement on Law and Justice and the 2026 Cooperation Programme; and will exchange views on directions to expedite approval of the Vietnamese Government’s project on providing technical assistance for Laos to strengthen the capacity of the Lao Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice of Viet Nam also hopes to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of the justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces in expanded form; to strengthen exchanges and sharing of experience in judicial fields, focusing on areas that directly affect the lives of people in border areas; and to promote the signing and implementation of cooperation documents between local judicial bodies of the two countries and between sister localities.
The outcomes of the Lao delegation’s visit and participation at the seventh justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces will contribute to strengthening legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries; preserving and nurturing the great Viet Nam–Laos friendship,
Regarding priority areas for bilateral cooperation in the period ahead, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh said that the two ministries of justice will continue to work closely with each other with a focus on four major directions:
First, continue to complete and improve the effectiveness of the legal and judicial cooperation framework between the two Ministries; increase exchanges of delegations at all levels and maintain existing cooperation mechanisms.
Second, intensify support to build capacity for Laos’ legal and judicial officers through training, professional development, experience sharing and implementation of technical assistance projects.
Third, strengthen coordination between localities, especially border provinces, in addressing legal issues arising from practice such as nationality, civil status, addressing the situation of irregular migration and non‑marital cohabitation, civil judicial assistance, civil enforcement, legal aid and dissemination and legal education for the populace.
Fourth, further promote the role of the justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces as a distinctive and effective forum for cooperation between the two countries’ justice sectors.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh expressed his belief that, with the attention of the leadership of both countries and close coordination between the two ministries of justice, the outcomes of the Lao delegation’s visit and participation at the seventh justice conference of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces will contribute to strengthening legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries; preserving and nurturing the great Viet Nam–Laos friendship, for the development, stability and prosperity of each country as well as Vietnamese and Lao border provinces.
