Looking back on milestones of six justice conferences of Vietnamese and Lao border provinces

The visit provides an important opportunity for the two sides to further consolidate and strengthen their legal and judicial cooperation, thereby deepening the Viet Nam–Laos relationship of “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connectivity.”

Over the years, the Ministries of Justice of Viet Nam and Laos have consistently worked closely and proactively together to enhance bilateral cooperation through the signing of important cooperation documents and the implementation of regular and stable collaborative activities. These efforts have contributed to building a peaceful and friendly border while further strengthening the special brotherly friendship between the Vietnamese and Lao peoples.

Building a favourable legal environment for border residents

The 1st Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces was held in Thanh Hoa in 2011. It marked the first time that representatives from the Viet Nam and Laos gathered to discuss cooperation between their ministries of justice, future cooperation between provincial departments of justice along the border, issues relating to free migration and unregistered marriages along the Viet Nam–Laos border, as well as legal practice and civil judgment enforcement in both countries.

The conference also agreed to review the Viet Nam–Laos Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement for revision and enhancement, strengthen coordination in the process of participating in ASEAN and Hague Conference agreements on private international law, and effectively implement the 2011–2015 cooperation agreement.

Building on the achievements of the first conference, the 2nd Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces was held in Vientiane, Laos, in 2014. It further reinforced cooperation in border management and the creation of a favourable legal environment for the sustainable development of border areas between the two countries.

Cooperation under the 2011–2015 agreement between the two ministries of justice was increasingly strengthened, with seven out of ten pairs of border provinces signing cooperation agreements or memoranda of understanding. Following the conference, efforts relating to civil registration management and nationality issues in border provinces of both countries were significantly enhanced.

The 3rd Expanded Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces, held in Thanh Hoa, marked another step forward in promoting judicial cooperation and border management between Viet Nam and Laos, contributing to the protection of security and stability in border areas while supporting socio-economic development.

At the third conference, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Justice of Viet Nam and the Ministry of Justice of Laos on the implementation of the project supporting the Lao Justice Academy; the 2017 Cooperation Programme between the two ministries of justice; and a cooperation agreement between Ha Noi Law University and the Lao National Institute of Justice.

Strengthening traditional and close ties

In 2018, the 4th Expanded Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces was held in Vientiane, Laos, under the theme “Promoting Local Judicial Cooperation Between Viet Nam and Laos to Safeguard the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Border Residents.” During the conference, four cooperation agreements were signed between several local departments of justice.

Both sides continued to affirm the importance of judicial cooperation in building a peaceful, stable, and sustainably developing border between Viet Nam and Laos. Cooperation activities between the two ministries of justice, judicial agencies, and civil judgment enforcement authorities in provinces sharing a common border, as well as between paired border provinces, were further strengthened through cooperation agreements at the 5th Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces in 2022.

These efforts helped reinforce solidarity, friendship, mutual respect, and equality among border provinces in general, while enhancing legal and judicial cooperation between the departments of justice of border provinces in the two countries.

The 6th Expanded Justice Conference of Vietnamese and Lao Border Provinces, held in Vientiane in 2024, proposed practical forms of cooperation to address legal consequences affecting residents in border areas of both countries. The objective was to ensure compliance with the law while creating the most favourable conditions for people living along the shared border.

It can be said that the Ministry of Justice of Viet Nam has always attached the highest priority to its cooperative relationship with the Ministry of Justice of Laos, its trusted partner and close brotherly counterpart.

Notably, cooperation between local judicial agencies and civil judgment enforcement authorities in provinces sharing the common border has been increasingly strengthened. This has made a practical contribution to maintaining social order and safety, ensuring stable livelihoods for residents in border areas, preventing and defeating hostile activities by adversarial forces, combating cross-border crime, and continuing to build a peaceful and friendly Viet Nam–Laos border.

These efforts have also further deepened and promoted the special friendship and solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos, enabling bilateral relations to develop in a more substantive, stable, and sustainable manner.