Vietnam and Laos are two neighbouring countries with beautiful mountains and rivers, sharing the same strip of land leaning against the majestic Truong Son mountain range, drinking the same sweet Mekong River water. The people of the two countries have had a close relationship since ancient times.
For a long time, the image of “Sharing a bowl of rice in half, biting a grain of salt in half” has become an immortal symbol, expressing the beautiful, selfless, pure friendship, and deep sharing of both material and spiritual things that the people of the two countries have for each other.
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President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane met in Hanoi in 1966, continuing to build a solid foundation for the special solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Laos. (File photo) |
Looking back at history, on May 20, 1948, the Lao Bac Volunteer Committee was established by the General Command of the Vietnam National Army and Militia, with comrade Kaysone Phomvihane (later General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Prime Minister, and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic) as its head. It was assigned to establish a revolutionary base behind enemy lines and then launch a guerrilla movement to establish a resistance base against the French colonialists.
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Trang Lao Lu (the son of Trang Lao Kho) recounts memories to his children and grandchildren, officers and soldiers of the Son La Provincial Border Guard about his family with meetings, wholehearted help and sharing to hide comrade Chairman Kaysone Phomvihane and Lao cadres in the process of building a political system to serve the resistance war for national salvation. |
The Lao Bac Volunteer Committee chose Phieng Sa Village, Chieng On Commune, Yen Chau District, Son La Province (Vietnam) as a base for preparing all conditions to carry out the tasks for the resistance war.
The people of Phieng Sa Village and especially the family of Trang Lao Kho supported and helped wholeheartedly, sharing food and provisions to secretly feed and hide the revolutionary cadres of their friends, helping comrade Kaysone Phomvihane and the Lao Bac Volunteer Committee gradually move deeper into Laos, building bases to develop secret forces. The monument symbolising the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos in Lao Kho Village, Phieng Khoai Commune, Yen Chau District, Son La Province (Vietnam) — a place that holds many special marks of the unique alliance and solidarity in the world — is a symbol of the special relationship between the two parties, states and peoples.
Here, Trang Lao Kho and comrade Kaysone Phomvihane became sworn brothers “sharing the same thoughts, sharing the same heart” and then the two cut their blood and swore to each other that no matter what happened, they would live and die together.
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Phieng Sa Village, Chieng On Commune, now Lao Kho Village, Phieng Khoai Commune, Yen Chau District, Son La Province (Vietnam), has become a place that holds many special marks of diplomacy, cooperation, alliance and solidarity that is unique in the world. |
The border protection forces of Son La Province and Huaphan Province join hands to protect the sacred border of the Fatherland.
President Ho Chi Minh, together with Prince Souphanouvong and President Kaysone Phomvihane, built and strengthened the foundation for the Vietnam-Laos friendship, which has become a rare, exemplary, loyal, and pure relationship in the world between the two parties, states, and peoples.
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Young officers and youth delegations from both sides of the border participated in a cross-border cross-country run in a series of exchange activities between young officers of the Vietnam-Laos border protection force for the second time in 2024. |
Inheriting those traditions, today’s generation always understands and respects and preserves historical values, which are decisive factors for the future of both peoples and are an immutable heritage, the vitality of which is the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.
In recent times, the party and state have had many diplomatic activities and established comprehensive strategic diplomatic relations with many countries in the world, creating major turning points and bringing a peaceful, prosperous and happy life to the people.
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The border protection forces of Son La Province and Houaphan Province regularly meet, exchange and give each other gifts of agricultural products that they have have produced themselves. |
These activities can be mentioned in the recent meeting in October 2024 between General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, during the 2nd Border Defence Friendship Exchange at Long Sap Border Gate (Son La Province, Vietnam) and Pa Hang Border Gate (Hua Phan Province, Laos).
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The Border Guard Command of Son La Province (Vietnam) and the Military Command of Huaphan Province (Laos) regularly hold meetings, exchange information, periodically report on the situation, and record memorandums of understanding on border protection work. |
This meeting and exchange further enhances the solidarity, close bond, and special loyalty that cannot be separated, continuing to inherit the traditions. The Party, Government, and ethnic groups of Lao and the Party, Government, and ethnic groups of Vietnam, especially the border protection forces between Son La Province and Huaphan Province, have always promoted those fine traditions, contributing to the joint construction and protection of the sovereignty and security of the border between the two countries of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
