The awarding ceremony was held in the northern border province of Son La on July 5 as part of activities to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.
On behalf of Vietnamese Party and State leaders, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan presented 11 second-class Independence Orders, 74 third-class Independence Orders, and three first-class Labour Orders to the Lao awardees.
Speaking at the event, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Son La province Hoang Van Chat affirmed Party organisations, administrations and people of Vietnamese provinces bordering Laos always attach importance to and give special priority to consolidating, nurturing and promoting friendly and traditional relations with Lao counterparts.
Son La established relations and signed comprehensive cooperation agreements with eight northern provinces of Laos, he said, adding that the relations contribute to the development and integration of each country.
These relations laid a solid foundation for solidarity, friendship, close links, mutual trust and long-term cooperation between the two nations and among Vietnamese and Laos border localities in particular, Chat said.
He took this occasion to call for a joint determination to lift the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and people to a new level, thus actively contributing to the cause of national construction and defence in each country, as well as peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Phetthavong Philavan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Luang Namtha province, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their wholehearted support to their Lao counterparts as well as the 15 provinces in the past struggle for national liberation and the current national construction and development period.
He believed the bilateral relations will be strengthened and developed fruitfully in all fields, and the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2017 will be organised successful.
