Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship Meeting opens

The 2016 Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship Meeting officially kicked off on July 6 in Savannakhet province in Laos, with the attendance of numerous outstanding youths from the two countries.

At the opening ceremony of the 2016 Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship Meeting (Credit: tienphong.vn)
At the opening ceremony of the 2016 Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship Meeting (Credit: tienphong.vn)

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee Nguyen Long Hai, while Deputy Secretary of the Lao People Revolutionary Youth Union (LPRYU) Khampha Phimasone was head of the Lao side.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the meeting, alternate member of the Lao Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Savannakhet provincial Party Committee and Deputy Governor of the province Phosay Xayasone said that the Party, government, armed forces and people of the province were very pleased to welcome delegates to the meeting.

He emphasised that the meeting was considered as an important milestone for the traditional relations, special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive co-operation between Laos and Vietnam.
Initiated in 2000, the annual event is also a symbol of the combative alliance, traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive and strategic co-operation between the two Parties and States, added the Deputy Secretary of LPRYU Khampha Phimasone.

At the meeting, Secretary of the HCYC Nguyen Long Hai noted that this year’s event takes place as the two countries are preparing activities to mark the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and 40 years since the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation in 2017.

He highlighted that the traditional friendship between Laos and Vietnam was founded by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and nurtured by the sacrifice of numerous fallen soldiers, as well as successive generations of leaders and people of the two countries.

Hai also affirmed that the HCYC has always attached special importance to the friendship and co-operation between Vietnam and Lao youths, and would made more efforts to bring the traditional relations to a new height in all fields.

Over the recent years, the youth unions and organisations of the two countries have co-organised numerous meaningful activities including delegation exchanges of senior leaders of Youth Union Central Committees, the youth friendship meeting and building a friendship village for Vietnamese and Lao youths along the two countries' shared border.

At this year’s meeting which last until July 11, the two countries’ youths will continue to discuss and discuss their experience in promoting their role in socio-economic development, as well as hold two seminars on promoting the creativity and the startup spirit among youth, and accelerating friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation for a bright future for Lao and Vietnamese youth.

Earlier on the same day, the delegates of the two sides laid a wreath and offered incense to Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kasone Phomvihane at their statues in Savannakhet province.

On July 5, the Vietnamese delegation paid a courtesy visit to member of the Lao Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Savannakhet provincial Party Committee and Governor of the province Santiphap Phomvihane as well as visited the Vietnam-Lao Traditional Combative Alliance Museum in Sepon district.